No DJ, No Dolby: Latur Police Turn Down The Volume On Ganpati Celebrations

Latur Police in Maharashtra have launched a ‘No DJ, No Dolby’ initiative ahead of the 10-day Ganpati festival, directing Ganesh mandals across the district to avoid DJs, Dolby sound systems and other high-volume amplifiers.

Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe said violations of prescribed noise-pollution norms would invite legal action. The festival begins on September 14, with police appealing to organisers to cooperate with the administration and ensure peaceful and disciplined celebrations.

Instead of high-powered sound systems, mandals have been encouraged to use traditional instruments such as dhol-tasha, lezim, halgi and taal-mrudung. Police said the objective is to preserve the cultural character of Ganeshotsav while keeping celebrations within permissible noise limits.

Latur’s move comes amid a wider debate in Maharashtra over the health and environmental impact of high-decibel music during religious festivals. Police authorities across Marathwada, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, Nanded, Hingoli, Jalna, Parbhani and Dharashiv, have also issued directions aimed at keeping Ganeshotsav free of DJ systems, particularly during immersion processions.

Solapur has imposed restrictions on DJs, loud sound systems and laser shows during major Ganesh processions for the second consecutive year. In Mumbai, police have reiterated that DJ systems will not be permitted during the festival in line with existing noise-pollution restrictions. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also urged people to return to more traditional forms of celebration.

The issue is not confined to Maharashtra. In Hyderabad, police are deploying decibel meters and flying squads to monitor sound levels at Ganesh mandals, with loudspeakers and DJs barred between 10 pm and 6 am and permissible noise limits to be observed.

Meanwhile, Goa has adopted a different approach, allowing loudspeakers until midnight on specified Ganesh Chaturthi and Anant Chaturdashi occasions, but only with prior permission and compliance with noise-pollution rules.

The Latur police stressed that “Ganeshotsav should be about joy, not noise; tradition, not pollution,” warning that organisers and individuals violating the rules will face action under the law.