Shimoga: The ban on nude worship at locally famous goddess Renukamba fair at Chandragutti in the district from March 8 to 12 would be enforced strictly, the district administration said on Friday.
Devotees taking part in the festival would face strict action for violating the ban and they should observe it in decorous way, officials said.
The Renukamba Jatra will be attended by a large number of devotees from four districts and there was a tradition in the past when women devotees called "Jogathis" used to offer their pooja to the goddess in nude form after taking bath in the nearby river.
The practice was banned in 1984 after those who tried to prevent the nude worship were attacked by the Jogathis. There has however been a sea change in the attitude of devotees since then following the ban and awareness campaign with the fair being observed in a decent way.
