Photos: Examples of Sakhibeki and Cudadhari
Earlier in this chapter Teaching of Lord Caitanya 31, Srila Prabhupada says:
"There are many pseudo-devotees, claiming to belong to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s sect, who artificially dress themselves as the damsels of Vraja. This is not approved by advanced spiritualists, or advanced students of devotional service. Such people dress the outward material body because they foolishly confuse the body with the soul."
This is the context of this teaching and chapter.
A male devotee does not externally dress like a Gopi with Sari, but internally he does.
Internally a male devotee meditates that they are serving Radha Krsna as a Gopi and dressed in Sari.
This is what Srila Prabhupada is explaining here:
"One should think of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day and engage in Their service within one's mind."
And:
"By adopting this emotional mood of following in the footsteps of the gopīs."
Outwardly a male devotee can dress as appropriate according to time, place and circumstance, whether it be a suit, tie, Dhoti, Kurta.
But internally a male devotee meditates that he is a Gopi serving Radha Krsna dressed in a wonderful ... Sari.
As for the female devotees, they can externally (if necessary or not) wear Sari as well as internally.
In this following quote by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, he is specifically referring to a male imitating how *Krishna* dresses. He calls such imitation an "evil obsession."
"O! Abandoning the performance of adorning yourself with dramatic clothing and ornaments in imitation of Lord Krishna, may you become attached to chanting His pure holy names. May you become the loyal follower of Nitai Chanda, thereby renouncing all evil obsessions."
-Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in Sri Chand Baul, song 4.
This quote from Srila Bhaktivinoda is about the Cudadharis.
There are two Apasampradayas:
Sakhibekis are men who dress up as Gopis.
The Cudadharis are men who dress up as Krsna.
The quotations from Prabhupada and Bhaktivinoda refer to these groups.
These quotes are not indicating that male devotees cannot wear Dhoti, Kurta and female devotees cannot wear Saris.
I have no problem with devotees wearing a suit and tie. But these quotes from Prabhupada and Bhaktivinoda do not refer to this
