Simple guidelines for clothes to wear for puja (Jain Dharma)

Core principles

• Clean, modest, simple, and comfortable.
• Prefer plain white or light pastel colors; they reflect purity and help concentration.
• Choose plant-based, non‑violent fabrics: cotton or linen. Avoid silk (unless certified ahimsa), wool, leather, and all fur.
• Keep ornaments, makeup, perfume, and flashy designs to a minimum.

For temple darshan and ashtaprakari/ghar‑puja

• Men: plain white dhoti or pajama with kurta/angarkha. A clean shawl is fine if needed.
• Women: simple white/light sari with blouse, or plain salwar‑kameez/kurti with dupatta. Many cover the head lightly in the sanctum.
• Remove footwear and all leather items (belts, wallets, watch straps) before entering.
• Avoid black and very bright/red outfits for worship.

For snatra‑puja/abhishek (idol bathing)

• Wear freshly bathed, very clean clothes.
• Prefer unstitched/loose garments: men often use dhoti; women a sari. Keep sleeves above wrist if handling puja dravya. Keep nails short, hands free of ornaments.

For samayik, pratikraman, mantra‑jaap

• White, simple, loose clothing that allows sitting steadily.
• Keep a clean asan (cotton cloth/mat) separate for worship only.

Digambar and Shvetambar notes

• Shvetambar lay followers commonly wear plain white during rituals; their ascetics wear simple white cloth.
• Digambar lay followers also prefer simple white/light clothing; for abhishek many men use an unstitched dhoti. All animal‑derived apparel is avoided in both traditions.

Practical do’s and don’ts

• Do: bathe, dry hair, and wear washed clothes kept only for puja; tie long hair; keep minimal jewelry.
• Don’t: wear leather/fur, flashy/see‑through or tight clothes, heavy perfume, or jingling accessories that disturb others.

Helpful references

• Basic temple dress/etiquette and darshan guidelines
• Color and simplicity for jaap/puja (preference for white)
• Why to avoid black for worship and never wear fur/leather