Tourists visiting the imambaras after the lookout was lifted last week are now facing a piquant situation.

After a strict warning issued by the Shia community for maintaining the religious sanctity of the monuments, male tourists are now being asked to cover their heads while women are being told to enter the precincts only after wearing stoles.

This is posing a major problem for foreign tourists since men coming wearing half pants and the women are attired in skirts.

“Why should this be a problem After all, visitors are not allowed in to the Golden Temple if they do not wear full clothes and cover their heads.

“The imambaras are also a religious monument and visitors must learn to maintain its dignity and sanctity,” said Ali, a tourist guide.

The new diktat is now leading to ugly situation and fracas was reported between the visitors and guides on this issue.

According to sources, some foreign tourists were allowed to go in wearing skirts while some local ones were asked to wear stoles and this led to arguments.

Shruti Khandekar, a techie who had come on a vacation from Pune, told this correspondent on Monday.

“I went there on Sunday and the guide gave me a dirty stole and asked me to cover my head. I refused to wear a stole that may have been used by several others before me. Just then I saw a female tourist going in wearing skirt Just because the foreign tourists pay high fees to the guides, they are allowed to go in but we are stopped. We had a long argument after which I decided to return home,” she said.

Mr P.K. Swarup, a retired government employee, faced a similar situation when he went with his grandchildren to see the monument.

“The new dress code is not a problem but they should publicise the new directives before implementing them. In Golden Temple, everyone knows the rules so there is no problem,” Mr Swarup said.