Devotee Dress

A commenter on my personal blog raised an interesting question about the way devotees dress and present themselves at outreach events. The question and my response are below...

The question:
Good on you, Vyenkata Bhatta dasa and everyone who took part in the AIDS walk!
Looking at the photo above though, I can't see any devotees sporting sikha or wearing dhoti. Is it common now in ISKCON for members not to dress like ISKCON used to? I know it's a little shallow, and clothes do not maketh the man (or monk), but that's how I recognise the devotees of Krsna. Also didn't Prabhupada himself recommened dhoti, tilak and sikha for all devotees?

My response:
Thanks for your questions, Anonymous prabhu. As you will see from the photo essay in the next post, we had quite a diverse turn-out for the Walk - including our favorite monk, Gadadhara Pandit prabhu (aka NYC Pandit)in full-on saffron dhoti, shaved head and sikha.

In addition, some devotees do keep a sikha (like me) and some did have on tilak (like Yadunath prabhu). However other devotees choose to dress in Western clothes and keep conventional hairstyles.

I think one of the nicest things about representing Krishna consciousness at events like this is that we can help people to understand that devotees of Krishna are -- externally speaking -- not so different than they are. This can help others relate to us and approach the devotees.

I don't think that it is "common for members not to dress like ISKCON used to" per se, but I do feel that devotees tend to present themselves in a way that reflects who they are. In the 1960s and 1970s, most ISKCON devotees were monks and "nuns" -- brahmacaris, brahmacarinis, sannyasis, and "brahmacari-grihastas" who lived as monks did, cloistered from the mainstream society. Today, most ISKCON devotees live, work, and participate in the greater community around them. I think it is natural (and desirable) that some devotees should thus choose to dress and look like the general populace.

I am not aware of any instructions Srila Prabhupada gave insisting upon dhoti, tilak, and sikha for all members. I do remember reading that Prabhupada allowed his grhasta male devotees who were working outside the movement to keep short, contemporary hairstyles ("like a respectable gentleman") instead of a shaved head -- but no dressing like a hippie!

Hridayananda Goswami recently made an interesting point on this subject. He said that in Lord Caitanya's time, when devotees went out on harinama, they were dressed *the same way that everyone else was!* In other words, by wearing dhotis and chaddars, etc. they weren't weren't trying to stand out by their clothing -- they were perfectly fitting in. An interesting argument to try going out on harinama in contemporary clothes (or at least have devotees mix it up)...

Ultimately, I think you said it best: "The clothes do not maketh the man." For some devotees (especially the monks) dressing in traditional Indian garb may help them represent the tradition; for others, they may choose to represent Krishna by wearing Western clothes.

Personally, I'd like to see Hare Krishna devotees recognized -- regardless of what they are wearing -- by their exemplary behavior, compassion and humility, and genuine expressions of joy on their faces.

Hare Krishna!