Can’t We Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi In A Serene Way?

Mahesh Vijapurkar

It would appear that we Indians with any number of festivals mostly based on religion-linked events have misunderstood noisy celebrations as a measure of its worth. It could be the Navratri when late into the night ear-shattering music has to blare, or the dahi handi when tiers are formed to reach a pot kept hanging across a road.

Dahi handi, a day after Janmastami – mimicking the frolics of Lord Krishna stealing the butter kept out of reach by the mother – just went by with little noise in Maharashtra. That was because the suppliers of the high-decibel sound systems refused to hire them out lest they be seized by the police.

Had they not, it may well have been a noise affair.

Later in the winter it would be the turn of Navaratri when women men will dance to tunes set to Gujarati dandiya rsas. They too have a basis in religious event linked to Dussera, but is mainly organised by commercially by event managers and tickets sold. Of course, they too have high-decibel sound systems operated by DJs and belting out the music.

Now comes the annual turn of Ganesh Chaturthi, starting Friday, when the elephant-headed deity will be worshipped at possibly every street corner, taking up road and sidewalk spaces, obstructing movement including vehicular. Its normal feature is loudspeakers. The success, if any, of campaign against noise pollution would be known. Courts have barred such noise.

While the dahi handi is a daytime, one-day event, the Navratri and Ganesh Chaturthi are spread over nine and ten days respectively. For these, the organisers seek and get some time limit exemptions for at least three days from the government beyond 10pm, and when the participants claim religious fervour, other suffer the noise. Noise, beyond the 70db has to mark these festivities.

During Ganesh event, the noise can be through the day, for from the second day onwards, immersions start, and the big ones are taken in processions for the adieu on the tenth day. Huge drums, kettle drums, and portable DJ sets on trucks accompany the idols to the water bodies. And when the idols are brought for worship at the pandals, the Lord of Good Omens has to have the same accompaniment.

The interesting aspect is that when Mumbai High Court put height restrictions on the dahi handi and age restrictions on participants to ensure safety of life and limbs, the organisers, mainly politicians, argued that it was an ‘adventure sport’ – a clear case of opportunism. The courts later said regulating was a legislative task which it cannot perform and restored the status quo ante after the Supreme Court asked for a review.

The Chaturthi also has huge political patronage, and it is not limited to what the local politician provides. It is some money-spinner as well, and smaller organisations who opt for smaller idols, and illegally occupy road spaces seek out the politicians’ support. During election time, smaller housing colony-based groups ask for funds from the politicians, and hoping for a quid pro quo vote, they oblige.

Noise abatement is hardly the concern of the organisers despite laws governing them. It has been established that noise pollution is transient but can create permanent damage, and studies by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has shown that not only the ambient noise in cities and towns are getting louder but during festivities like Ganesh Chaturthi are not decreasing.