On Vaishnava Markings

Must we wear the traditional dress and markings of a Vaiṣṇava?

His Divine Grace Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Question: Here in the cultural environment of the West it seems necessary to make adjustments for time and place. Must we wear the dress of the traditional cloth of the Gauḍīya–Vaiṣṇavas—tilak, dhoti, and so on— to present the teachings of Mahāprabhu? Please offer me some advice on this matter. Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj replied: Regarding your questions: for householders, what is a suitable dress for their duties, they may accept that. For their preaching, what is most suitable may be worn, but at least for ārati, for the worshipping of the Deities, the dhotī, and so on, should be worn.The brahmachārīs will more actively maintain the external garments. They are full-time representing the Mission and should be recognised as such, as far as possible. But for sannyāsīs they are to always wear the dress of sannyās. If it is absolutely

necessary for them to wear shirt, pants, and so on, at any time, then under those garments their sannyās cloth will be worn. The only time for them not to wear their sannyās garments is in a grave life-or-death situation.

The thread must always be worn. The kaṇṭhī-mālā (neckbeads) must also be worn but, if necessary, a single thread may be worn at the least. These general guidelines you can follow. We want to favourably present Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, and what is suitable for that we will accept according to the circumstances.

In every sampradāya and every religion there must be some who will misrepresent the teachings or give a bad impression to the public, but that should not hamper our own mission. Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Prabhupād would always establish the super-excellence of the pure Gaudiya–Vaiṣṇava conception, and he would march onwards strongly despite so much heavy opposition. In this way he established the dignity of this Mission. […Answers to Letters from the book Divine Servitor]