The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday granted interim stay on the order imposing dress code for devotees entering temple in Tamil Nadu.

The bench granted the stay based on a writ appeal filed by the state government which argued that it was not possible to enforce a dress code on visitors at temples.

Several important shrines have put up notice boards highlighting a new dress code to be followed following the orders of the Madras High court in December 2015, officials said.

According to a notice board outside the Palani temple, male devotees have been advised to wear dhoti, shirt, pyjama or pant and shirt while women and girls should wear saris or churidhar or 'pavadai' with half-sari.

Devotees wearing lungi, bermudas, jeans and tight-leggings would not be allowed, it said. Other major shrines which have put up notice boards about the dress code included the Rameswaram and Meenakshi temples, officials said.