Rules in Temple Worship

Temple Worship is an important feature of the Hindu Faith. There are so many different temples and so many different rules governing temple worship. Below, we present a few salient points that need to be followed when worshipping in temples. These rules are meant to be suggestive rather than prescriptive.
1.  As far as possible one should visit the Temple alone, or with one’s family only.
2. It is best to go in the company of Sadhus or one’s Guru. One should not visit the Temple gossiping with a friend: or, with others who go with the idea of entertainment.
3. should not chit chat inside the Temple precincts.
4. should not sleep inside the Temple precincts.
5. should not eat from the food packets carried along.
6. visitors should not cook food inside.
7. should never step inside the Temple without bathing.
8. should not visit the Temple if one has rested on bed during day time.
9. should not carry the footwear inside the Temple.
10. should not speak over the cell or telephone inside the Temple.
11. should not spit, urinate inside. Littering should be avoided.
12. Restrooms should not be built inside the Temple precincts.
13. Female devotees should not visit Temples during their menstrual cycle and those who have touched them should also not step into the Temple.
14. should not visit the Temple during the time of mourning; as, also when there has been birth in the family.
15. should not visit the Temple without bathing after a visit to a death house or a visit to the home of a newly born infant.
16. should not visit the Temple without bathing after a visit to a hospital.
17. should maintain silence inside the Temple or chant the Divine Names of the Lord or hymns (slokas).
18. should remove litters scattered around.
19. should remove any growth in Temple towers or in ‘praakaara’ (corridors running around the Sanctum Sanctorum).
20. on stepping inside the Temple one should not bother if others are observing him.
21. even playfully should one not give his promise inside the Temple.
22. should walk slowly and not take hurried steps.
23. except the sick, differently abled, old people or on some other genuine ground, all should enter through ordinary queue (‘dharma darshan’) and not get entry through the ‘special fee’ queue (‘special darshan’).
24. should not prostrate anywhere except in front of the ‘dwajastamba’.
25. should take some offering like sugar candy, oil, wick, flower, etc.
26. when going to the Temple in a vehicle, it should be stopped a little distance away from where one should walk to the Temple; never should one go up to the Temple entrance in the vehicle.
27. should clean the hands and legs well before entering the Temple.
28. should wear clean, traditional clothes.
29. while visiting Temples on top of Hills, Mountains, one should climb by foot (the sick, differently abled, old people may go in a vehicle).
30. should not close your eyes while standing in front of the Deity.
31. should, through proper teachers, teach hymns on the Deity (of the particular Temple), in the local language.
32. should never gain entry for darshan by paying cash to any acquaintance there.
33. should circumambulate more than once.
34. should not perform ‘akshada archana’ (raw rice mixed with kumkum and turmeric) for Lord Vishnu; this will lead to poverty.
35. should never take any thing from the Temple for home use – be it a leaf or a flower.
36. should not bow down to anyone other than Sadhus inside the Temple.
37. should not touch the Deities inside the Temple, even if permitted.

-- Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji