By Ritika Jain
Putting a damper on Navratri celebrations, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on September 26 banned modern sound systems like loudspeakers, DJs while performing dandiya and garba in silence zones as declared under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
According to the rules, an area comprising not less than 100 metres around hospital, educational institutions, religious places, courts and any other area as declared by a competent authority is a 'silence area/zone'.
"Dandiya and Garba being intrinsic part of a religious celebration can still be performed in purely traditional and religious way, which do not contemplate use of modern gadgets like, music system, loudspeakers, DJ sound and the like," the bench said.
The high court's decision came on a plea that sought the ban on loudspeakers at a school playground—it also shared a common wall with a hospital—in Nagpur which was declared a silence zone.
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Goddess Shakti needs one-pointed attention, loud music can hinder this: HC
Bombay High Court observed that worshipping a deity required "one-pointed attention", without any disturbance, or without causing disturbance to others.
"No offering of one pointed worship and devotion to the presiding deity of Navratra festival is possible unless there is a full concentration of mind, all energies of body and mind are focused on nothing but the deity and there is gradual shading of once own identity till the realisation of the supreme reality or the truth," the high court observed.
A true devotee would thus like to express his devotion or offer worship without receiving any disturbance of any kind from the outside world and he himself would not cause any disturbance to others, the division bench pointed out.
"It then follows that every offering of worship and devotion to the presiding deity of Navratra festival must be done with great care and a devotee must ensure that by his or her actions, the discipline and sanctity of the festival are not sacrificed. What is to be sacrificed by the devotee is his/her own indiscretion and indiscipline, the bench said justifying the imposition of noise pollution rules at the playground.
So, the position obtaining today is that in silence zones there cannot be playing of any loudspeaker or public address system/musical system and even beating of drums or tom-tom or blowing of horns etc., the high court said.
