Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Pune's Ganpati Noise Debate Intensifies After Vidyanand Bapat's Challenge
Vidyanand Bapat wants Ganpati celebrations in Pune to be quieter.
He says loud DJs and very large dhol-tasha groups disturb people living nearby.
At a civic meeting, some festival-organising groups argued against restrictions, and police took Bapat away for his safety.
He was later assaulted during a television interview.
Bapat says loud music should be played indoors in a soundproof place instead of on public streets.
Other residents have also formed a group to protest noise pollution.
Some festival organisers say dhol-tasha is an important tradition, but they agree that the noise should have limits.
Government officials and a human rights body have also said that court rules and decibel limits should be followed.
Vidyanand Bapat urged Pune civic officials to prohibit DJs and noisy dhol-tasha processions that exceed prescribed limits.
Ganpati mandal members confronted Bapat at a Pune Municipal Corporation meeting, and police escorted him out.
Bapat was assaulted on September 3 while giving a television interview about festival noise.
Resident groups, BJP figures and the National Human Rights Commission have separately called for noise rules to be enforced.
Some mandals defend dhol-tasha as tradition but support limits on instruments and overall noise levels.
- Who
- Vidyanand Bapat, Pune residents, Ganpati mandals, civic and political officials, and the National Human Rights Commission.
- What
- A dispute over DJs, loudspeakers and dhol-tasha processions during Pune's Ganpati festival, including demands for stricter noise enforcement.
- When
- The key events occurred around August 24, August 30, August 31, September 1 and September 3.
- Where
- Pune, particularly the Peth areas, the Pune Municipal Corporation, and FC Road; the related 2025 DJ ban was in Solapur district.
- Why
- Bapat and other residents say festival noise causes pollution, public inconvenience and forces some people to leave their homes, while mandals cite festival tradition.
Noise restrictions and enforcement
Festival tradition and unrestricted celebration
Use of DJs and loudspeakers
Noise restrictions and enforcement
Bapat and other residents say DJs and loudspeakers in public spaces cannot reliably comply with decibel limits and should be prohibited or moved to enclosed, soundproof venues.
Festival tradition and unrestricted celebration
Several Ganpati mandals opposed restrictions on DJs and argued that their festival should not be singled out compared with other events.
Dhol-tasha processions
Noise restrictions and enforcement
Noise opponents object to the high volume and large number of instruments used in some processions, saying they create a public nuisance.
Festival tradition and unrestricted celebration
Some mandals say dhol-tasha is a traditional part of the festival. Deepak Marne supported limits but suggested reducing groups from roughly 100 dhols to about 40 rather than banning them.
Public response and enforcement
Noise restrictions and enforcement
Bapat, the Ear-Splitting Speak Free Pune Action Committee, Medha Kulkarni and the National Human Rights Commission have called for existing rules and decibel limits to be enforced.
Festival tradition and unrestricted celebration
Festival supporters at the civic meeting said there should be no restrictions on Ganpati celebrations, while BJP city president Dhiraj Ghate said the media had given Bapat undue attention.
- Main campaigner
- Vidyanand Bapat, a 37-year-old Narayan Peth resident who moved to Pune nine years ago.
- Civic meeting
- Bapat raised the issue at a Pune Municipal Corporation meeting on August 24.
- Protest group
- The Ear-Splitting Speak Free Pune Action Committee held a protest on FC Road on August 30.
- Human rights action
- On September 1, the National Human Rights Commission sought an action-taken report from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board within two weeks.
- Assault
- Bapat was assaulted on September 3 during a television interview.
- Political comments
- Medha Kulkarni called for DJs to be avoided, while Devendra Fadnavis urged Pune to celebrate traditionally.
- Alternative position
- The Babu Genu Ganpati Trust supports dhol-tasha but suggested reducing the number of instruments and observing noise limits.