Temple etiquette

Visitors to a Hindu temple are expected to show the same respect they would in any place of worship. Customs differ from temple to temple, and the notice board at the entrance is the final word, but the following apply almost everywhere.

• Shoes: leave footwear outside, in the stand provided; socks are not always allowed in the sanctum.
• Dress: shoulders and knees covered; some temples (in Kerala and Odisha especially) have a specific dress for men and women, and some, such as Grishneshwar, ask men to remove a shirt in the sanctum. Check the notice.
• Photography: forbidden in many sanctums and sometimes in the whole temple; do not photograph people at worship without asking.
• Queues: wait for your turn; do not push, even when someone offers a faster way for money, which is not allowed in most temples.
• Offerings: flowers, coconut, fruit, sweets or a small donation are usual. Use the offerings sold by the temple trust, and give only what you want to give; you are not obliged to pay a priest who asks.
• Circumambulation: if you walk round the shrine (pradakshina), do so clockwise.
• Non-Hindu visitors: some temples are open only to Hindus, and others allow all visitors; the notice at the gate says which.

If you do not know what to do, watch the people ahead of you and ask a temple volunteer. Courtesy and a quiet manner are never wrong.

Temple rules, opening seasons, booking arrangements and routes change. Before you travel, check the official website of the temple or the state tourism board, and be careful of anyone who asks for money to book darshan or a stay by phone or message. We do not sell tours or packages. Information on this page was last checked in November 2026.