Mumbai railway stations have drawn objections after Bhojpuri songs linked to Chhath Puja were played at some locations ahead of the festival, prompting questions about how public announcement systems are used during a period of heightened passenger movement. Central Railway said essential passenger announcements remain unaffected.
The issue surfaced after videos of the songs being played at railway stations circulated on social media. Sections of Marathi-speaking residents and activists from some political parties objected to the practice, according to a report by the Press Trust of India published by the Times of India.
A Central Railway spokesperson said jingles and awareness messages connected with specific themes are played at stations on different occasions. The railway said the songs were being played at some stations, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, which are also handling special trains to manage the festival rush.
“These are played during the additional time available, apart from the time required for broadcasting essential information to passengers,” the spokesperson said, according to the PTI report. The clarification came as the use of railway announcement infrastructure for cultural messaging became the focus of public criticism.
Central Railway maintained that the songs and messages are broadcast only after accounting for the time needed for essential passenger information. The statement did not indicate any change to the practice, but placed it within the railway’s broader use of station audio systems for occasion-specific jingles and awareness messages.
The controversy has also raised questions about whether similar recognition should be given to festivals and regional cultural traditions associated with Maharashtra at railway stations. The debate is unfolding as Mumbai’s railway network prepares for additional demand linked to Chhath Puja, which is observed over four days and is associated prominently with Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The choice of stations named by Central Railway is significant to the immediate operational context. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus are among the locations from which special trains are being operated to clear the festival rush. At such stations, passenger communication is central to managing departures, platform information and other travel-related updates.
The railway’s position is that cultural songs occupy only the time left after essential announcements have been made. The objections, however, have shifted attention to the wider question of how a public transport system should balance operational communication with cultural messaging in a city whose stations serve passengers from multiple linguistic and regional communities.
Central Railway’s stated position remains that essential announcements continue without disruption. The railway has not announced any further measure regarding the songs or the broader demand for equivalent recognition of Maharashtra’s festivals and regional traditions.
