Why do we remove shoes before the mandir or the kitchen?

for cleanliness and respect — shoes carry the dirt of the street, and bare feet signal humility before the sacred.

Footwear walks through streets, markets and toilets, so traditional homes keep it at the door, and never take it into the pūjā room, the kitchen or the dining space. These are the places where God is worshipped and food is prepared, and both are treated as sacred.

Removing shoes is also a gesture of humility, much like bowing. Temples across India, and Hindu temples abroad, ask everyone to enter barefoot; in South Indian temples men often remove upper garments too, according to the temple’s custom. Leather in particular is avoided in the shrine.

At home this has a practical side: a clean floor for sitting on during pūjā and meals, and less dust for children who play on the ground. If you need footwear indoors for health reasons, keep a separate clean pair just for inside the house — tradition makes room for that.

Shoes stay out of the shrine and kitchen · Source: common temple and household practice

Dharma Q&A — worship at home · Ask a Jyotishi your own question