proper attire for westerner entering temple?

[ScottMalaysia]

As mentioned by others, the important thing is modesty. I'd recommend a skirt (at least knee-length) and a modest top with sleeves and a high neckline.

However, if you are a Hindu convert or are thinking about converting, then I'd recommend you get yourself a sari or shalwar kameez and wear that. Most of the women at our temple wear saris. Even if they don't at your temple, by wearing one you are declaring to the people there that you are a Hindu, not just a visitor.

It's also a good idea to make sure the clothes you wear to the temple are clean (freshly washed if preferable). You should also bathe before going to the temple (but don't worry if it's not possible/practical; just go anyway!).

Another point I want to draw your attention to: don't be discouraged if most of the temple service is in another language (Hindi, Gujarati etc), as it often is. You're there to worship God, who understands all languages.

[Believer]

Originally Posted by ScottMalaysia

I'd recommend a skirt (at least knee-length)

One of the Hindu temples in our area denied entrance even to a Indian Hindu girl who came in a skirt.
Be warned about that!
No point in starting on the wrong foot.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam:

I'm so curious as to how all this went for mfisher. I wish we'd all hear back more often from this type of thing so we could evaluate our advice and perhaps alter it based on what happened. Hopefully, all went okay. Even if someone has a negative experience, it would be good to hear that too. One of our collective roles is to help.

Aum Namasivaya

[Maya3]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this Forum and I'm really excited to be here.
I'm a white woman also and I have been Hindu for about 10 years.
It's interesting what you are saying about dressing so that you look Hindu instead of looking like a westerner.

I often feel out of place in Indian style clothing, I feel like I look like a "wanna be Indian" I usually dress in my own kind of Indian like style and feel comfortable with that. I have one shalwar kameez, it's gorgeous but I only wear it on special occasions.
I'm planning to wear it on our Temple's Diwali festival.

Maya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Maya3: I think its very individual. I never go to temple in western clothes, but that's just me. We were at a temple just last Tuesday, and a Tamil gent who is very traditional stood just outside the door because he wasn't in veshti, and he didn't feel he should come right in. He had come for some other purpose and then only realised there was a special puja going on. For me, its been 'the more you wear Indian, the more comfortable you get/feel. My wife feels very comfortable in sari because she's been at it 35 years or so. I rarely get the feeling or stare of "You're trying to hard" but I also don't watch other people's reactions much either, because I don't really care about that sort of stuff.

Aum Namasivaya

[Maya3]

Eastern Mind,

It might be that I'm not used to it.
My own communities are very western. Both my Ashram and my temple have mostly western members.
Our guru at the Ashram was a scientist and his focus was East West Unity so it's a pretty mixed crowd.

My Temple is a Bhakti Smarta temple and though the Puja's are 100 procent Hindu/Indian style, our Kirtan during and after the Puja are more western style.

But when I have gone to a temple with more of an Indian crowd, I feel more comfortable wearing "Indianish/me" clothes I feel like you said that I'd be "trying too hard" if I wore Indian clothes.

Maya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: I like this:

http://www.icctmemphis.org/nl/TempleEtiquette.html

But I wonder how it (the dress part) went over at first. Its been a year now, and I am guessing people in the neighbourhood have adjusted. I'm guessing the board got sick of the real casual dress like jeans, and t-shirts with slogans.

Anybody here near Memphis?

Aum Namasivaya

[Maya3]

I went to my temple for Diwali celebrations on Thursday and because of this discussion I noticed what people were wearing.
There were people in very traditional Saris, Salwar Kamez (sp?) Business suits, Jeans and sweater, jeans with long Indian shirt over.
This is a western temple though and even though there were quite a good number of people of Indian decent on Thursday the majority is western in all colors and nationalities.

Maya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Maya: Wow. With one exception, I have never been to a Hindu temple where the majority is western. Usually there are no or very few other westerners. At my temple here, the total number of different westerners in a given year is probably less than 20. Compare that to about 2000 Indian, Sri Lankan, and others. On several occasions while on pilgrimage, my wife and I have been the ONLY whites/westerners.

Aum Namasivaya

[Maya3]

Eastern Mind,

I just discovered this temple, I´m SO excited about it. It´s really amazing.

It´s truly Hindu, real Puja´s by an Indian Priest (mostly) and sometimes a western priest.
The Kirtans are very western and really beautiful.

Maya