Rules To Follow In Temples

If you are going to a temple in a vehicle, like a car or two-wheeler, get down at a distance, park your vehicle, and go walking. Don’t drive or ride up to the steps or the gate of the temple.

Footwear:
Don’t leave your footwear right at the door or gate of the temple. Keep them away from the door or gate. Wherever you are keeping them, keep them properly.

Processions and Events:
If there is an occasion like Rathayatra or a procession like Janmashtami, do not avoid taking darshan when you come across such processions. Walk up and offer your pranamas.

Always offer a pranama whenever you come across a temple when you are on the road or walking by, at least mentally.

Cleanliness:
Never perform puja or go to a temple when you are not clean. Physical cleanliness is very important.

Pranama Gesture:
Never offer pranama to God with a single hand, like touching your chest or lips. This is not our culture. This gesture of kissing your fingers is not there in Sanatana Dharma. Our way is to offer pranama with both palms together, folded, which is called anjali mudra.

Parikrama/Pradakshina:
Whenever you do parikrama or pradakshina, as you come in front of God, stop; don’t keep walking. Stop, offer pranama, and then proceed.

Seating in the Temple:
Never sit with your legs stretched when you are inside a temple. Your legs should be tucked under you.

Never squat inside a temple. If you have to sit down, sit properly in sukhasana, with your legs tucked under you. Even vajrasana will do.

Do not sleep or lie down inside a temple.

Food and Conduct:
Do not take food in front of God unless it is a proper anna daanam or prasada distribution to devotees.

Do not tell lies inside a temple—not just when in front of God. Never tell a lie, no matter where you are.

Do not talk loudly inside a temple. Talk only if it is very important, like when you have to communicate something to the priest. Then too, never talk loudly. Speak in a low voice and only as much as necessary.

Do not talk to others inside a temple. Your purpose for visiting the temple is to communicate with divinity, not anything else. Your single-point attention should be towards God.

If you meet a friend, a neighbor, or an acquaintance inside a temple, a smile is sufficient. If you have something to talk about, come out, wait outside the temple premises, and talk when the person comes out.

Switch off your mobile phone before entering a temple. This is very important. Don’t disturb yourself, and don’t disturb others.

Do not shout or make loud noises inside a temple. Never shout when you are inside a temple—not even at your child who is doing mischief.

Do not argue or quarrel inside a temple. Somebody may be breaking the line and going ahead of you. But still, don’t get into a fight inside the temple. Complain to the authorities after your darshan is over.

Do not trouble or harm anyone inside a temple. This is again a common rule, but very important when inside a temple. Don’t hurt anyone with your words, looks, or acts. God will tolerate anything, but hurting devotees will not be tolerated.

Do not offer ashirwada or blessing to someone inside a temple. Only God has the right to do that inside a temple. You may be an elderly person or a scholar, but inside a temple, don’t bless anyone. The only form of ashirwada allowed inside a temple is with mantras because when a mantra is said, they are the words of divinity just coming out through you.

Do not talk harshly to someone inside a temple. Again, God doesn’t like a devotee getting hurt.

Do not cover yourself with a shawl in front of God, except when it is cold and you are using it to protect your body. Basically, the intention is not to show off with expensive and ceremonial clothing in front of God or when you are inside a temple. Let humility be the essence of your conduct. Wear simple, clean, appropriate clothes.

You have gone there to get blessings, not to impress others with what you have.

Do not talk bad about or make fun of others in front of God. Somebody may be acting weird or foolish, but you have no right to laugh at him. He is a devotee. God wouldn’t tolerate this.

Do not praise others inside a temple. There is only the divinity who is praiseworthy in the whole universe. You must have heard the name Tumburu, who is a constant companion of Narada. Once, Narada himself cursed Tumburu because Tumburu praised a king instead of Lord Narayana.

Do not use bad words inside a temple. Be responsible for the words that you use. These are general rules, but all the more important inside a temple.

Do not flatulate or pass gas inside a temple. Do your morning routines properly before going to the temple.

Offerings and Devotion:
Always make offerings to God according to your capability, not less.

Do not eat or drink anything without offering it to God first. So, if you have to visit a temple, do that first, make your offerings, and then have your breakfast or whatever.

Whenever seasonal fruits like oranges or mangoes come, offer the first ones that you get to God.

Never cut fruits and offer only part of them to God. You have to offer them whole. There is no harm in peeling fruits like bananas and using them in a sweet dish offered to God. But whatever is there, offer it as a whole.

Facing God:
Do not show your back towards God. Whenever possible, when you are moving away from the front of God or coming out of the gate or gopura, walk backward. Never show your back to God.

Pranama for Others:
Do not offer pranama to someone else in front of God. Inside the temple, God is the only one worth offering pranama to. Don’t touch anybody’s feet when inside a temple. Don’t do dandavat namaskara to anyone when inside a temple, no matter how elderly or senior that person is. You are not only harming yourself, but you are also harming the person you are offering namaskara to.

There is an exception here: if it is your spiritual guru, you can. Not a school teacher, college teacher, or music teacher.

Humility Before God:
Do not boast about yourself or praise yourself in front of God. No matter who you are, your greatness is trivial compared to his greatness. Understand this. Approach God with humility.

Do not insult any God. You may be a devotee of Krishna, Shiva, or Shakti. You have every right to consider your ishtadevata as great. But you have no right to insult other Gods. If you do that, not only the other God but even your own ishtadevata will become angry with you.

Observe these basic rules whenever you are going to a temple. You will find that your spiritual life has become a lot more pure and meaningful.

Knowledge Bank

Is it good to suppress desires?

If you suppress your desires, they will only grow. Minimizing worldly activities is the only way to reduce worldly desires.

There is only one God in Hinduism

This one and only God, sometimes appears as Ganesha, sometimes as Rama, sometimes as Shiva, and sometimes as Devi.