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Re: women wearing jeans

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • May 19, 1999 


Mr. Balaji wrote:
> i have never come  across any women who wears
> jeans and at the same time is a strict follower of ramanuja
> sampradaya. 

Dear Balaji:

You clearly need to be exposed to more women in our tradition.
Both my wife and sister regularly wear jeans and I rarely find 
more serious followers of Sri Ramanuja sampradAya, particularly
in the West. 

Once again, can you please tell us if you eschew shirts and
pants and wear vEshti and uttarIyam regularly? Do you require a 
sikhA (kuDumi) of men, just as you require women to not cut
their hair? I simply wonder why your comments are all directed
at women and not at all at men.

If people feel there is any further philosophical merit to 
this discussion, I suppose it can go on, but I would prefer we
wrap this topic up soon.

P.S. to Sri Mohan Sagar: I agree with your recommendation that
Sri Vaishnavas wear thirumaN and SrIchUrNam (women included) 
whenever possible, particularly on religious occasions. It also
contributes to the Sri Vaishnava 'lakshaNam' to see people
traditionally dressed at temples. However, more often than not,
it is the men who come dressed casually, in shorts and a t-shirt,
with their wives and daughters coming on saris and pAvadais.

Which is why I find it surprising and irksome that Mr. Balaji's 
sees the root of all problems in women wearing jeans.

Mani