Rigid dress code put in place at temple in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Oct 18: A rigid dress code banning jeans pant, trousers and Bermuda shorts has been put in place at the Mahabaleshwar Temple in Gokarna, a popular pilgrimage centre, by its administration.
"We have already implemented the dress code in Gokarna.
The restrictions were already there but we implemented them a month ago," the executive officer of Gokarna Mahabaleshwar temple H Halappa told PTI Thursday.
He said shirt, pant, hat, cap and coat are also not allowed.
"For men only dhoti is allowed. They can't enter temple wearing shirts, tee-shirts and vest.
Women are allowed only in salwar suit and saree. They can't come in wearing jeans pant," Halappa added.
The Mahabaleshwar temple in Gokarna was built by Mayur Sharma of Kadamba dynasty in 4th Century AD.
Considered one of the seven "Mukti Kshetras or Muktistala ("places of salvation") in Karnataka, its location near the Karwar beach facing the Arabian sea has made it a tourist's delight.
The dress code order has, however, not gone down well with G K Hegde, former administrator of the Ramachandrapura Mutt near the Gokarna temple.
He said such rules will trouble the visitors as Gokarna also happens to be a major tourist destination.
"The dress code was only for men that they should not enter the temple wearing shirts and without taking bath.
There was no restriction for women," Hegde claimed.
The dress code should have been introduced by discussing with the devotees and temple priests who have been performing rituals for ages, Hegde said.
A similar restriction is in the offing at Virupaksha temple in Hampi, sources in the Karnataka Hindu religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment department told PTI.
The Virupaksha temple is among the oldest temples where the rituals have been going on since 7th century AD without break.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
