Actor and former MP Ramya, also known as Divya Spandana, has complained to Bengaluru Police about loud music and firecrackers during Navaratri celebrations, saying the noise continued into the early hours and was heard until 6 am.
Speaking to Bangalore Times, Ramya questioned whether festival celebrations are being conducted within rules that protect residents from excessive nighttime noise. She said the Supreme Court has issued a ruling prohibiting the use of loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am.
“Whether it is New Year’s Eve, Christmas or any other festival, shouldn’t the rules apply uniformly to everyone?” Ramya said. She argued that the same standards should apply across religious and cultural celebrations, while acknowledging that authorities can grant extensions for special occasions.
Her complaint places the focus on how Bengaluru manages the competing claims of public celebration and residents’ need for rest. Ramya said that continuing celebrations until 6 am was excessive, and called for a blanket approach that takes the interests of both organisers and nearby residents into consideration.
According to her account, loud music and firecrackers continued during Navaratri festivities. She said the music included film songs played at full volume, rather than only devotional songs, and questioned whether devotion should be used to justify noise at what she described as “unearthly volumes and hours”.
Ramya also highlighted the effect of late-night noise on senior citizens, children and animals, as well as on people who may not be participating in the celebrations. “Devotion should inspire empathy,” she said, urging organisers and participants to consider residents living near celebration venues.
The complaint raises a recurring enforcement question for Bengaluru: whether restrictions on loudspeakers and late-night celebrations are applied consistently across events. The source report does not include a response from Bengaluru Police or details of any action taken following Ramya’s complaint.
Ramya said residents and organisers have a substantial daytime window for celebrations, suggesting that festivities could be conducted between 9 am and 10 pm while avoiding prolonged disruption during sleeping hours. She maintained that festivals remain important, but said public enjoyment should not become a source of distress for people living nearby.
