Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Credit: PTI Photo
Lucknow: Clad in 'gerua' (orange) clothes with 'rudraksh mala' (necklace made from seeds of the sacred rudraksh tree) and sporting 'tripund' (three lines made of sandalwood or ashes on the forehead), they appear like the priests to the devotees visiting the sanctum-sanctorum at the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.
They are, however, cops, including female ones, from the Uttar Pradesh Police.
The Temple officials said that the new dress code would be applicable only for the cops who were deployed in the sanctum-sanctorum. "It is a new experiment and it has been started keeping in view the comfort of the devotees and providing a friendly environment in the temple," said an official in Varanasi.
The officials said that there were complaints from the devotees that the cops deployed at the temple did not behave properly with them and often used physical force to control the crowds.
"The devotees easily accept whatever is told by the priests but at times they do not listen to the police personnel. The cops, dressed like priests, will be able to handle the crowd in a better and friendly manner," he added.
These 'Priests-Cops' would welcome the devotees with the chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' and would also tell the devotees about other important religious spots in Varanasi.
These cops would be given a special training for three days as their duty in the sanctum sanctorum would not be like the one outside the temple or at other places.
The new experiment began at the temple from Wednesday, the officials said.