DJ noise nuisance spreads to Badrinath Dham

Organising loud, high-decibel music events reflects a grave neglect of India’s spiritual, cultural, and environmental heritage — Murli Manohar Joshi

High decibel levels of DJs are already a nuisance and a serious health hazard in many parts of the country despite repeated appeals.

Now, the growing menace has even reached the holy shrine of Badrinath Dham. While concerns raised by commoners may not carry much weight, a strong statement by BJP veteran and former Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi will surely force the authorities to act.

Flagging the issue, he has strongly condemned the permission granted for a DJ music concert at Badrinath Dham, terming it a direct assault on the sanctity and cultural decorum of the sacred Himalayan shrine. In a sharply worded statement, the veteran leader highlighted that the ancient Dham was established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya Maharaj in the serene Himalayan surroundings specifically for peaceful devotion and divine hymns.

Expressing deep concern over the commercialisation of the holy site, Joshi pointed out that even the traditional blowing of a conch shell is prohibited in the ecologically and spiritually sensitive shrine zone. Organising loud, high-decibel music events, he argued, reflects a grave neglect of India’s spiritual, cultural, and environmental heritage.

The senior leader also raised health concerns about high-altitude gatherings, saying that allowing thousands of people to dance at such extreme elevations ignores the severe physiological impacts. He cautioned that such events symbolise a troubling shift towards transforming Devbhoomi (Land of the Gods) into a commercial culture hub.

Appealing to followers of Indian culture, revered Shankaracharyas, and leading saints, Joshi urged them to raise a collective voice to halt the erosion of spiritual values. He further called upon both the Central and State Governments to immediately ban such events to preserve the dignity of the revered pilgrimage site.

“The Himalayas are the soul of the divine, the abode of Lord Shiva, and the source of Mother Ganga,” Joshi said, warning that turning these sacred heights into a dance arena inflicts a deep wound on the faith of millions of devotees across the nation.