There was a time when animals used to be slaughtered (in the name of sacrifice) to propitiate the Gods. Our relgion has undergone a lot of change & since we do not believe in any scriptures handed down by God, there have been many thinkers / reformers including Buddha / Mahavira who have influenced Hinduism. Even Saraswati Devi is depicted with a book in her hand to show that even She is still creating knowledge. We dont know the reasons why there was this practice of cleaning the temple when strangers (non-Hindus) entered the temple. Considering that our religion is continuing to evolve with the times , it seems ugly & insulting (in these times) to clean the temple on the grounds that it has been defiled.
