The Bombay High Court has refused an urgent plea to hold Chhath Puja celebrations at Mumbai’s Girgaum Chowpatty on November 15 and 16, after the organisers could not satisfy the court that they had complied with an existing framework governing events on the beach.
A vacation bench led by Justice Advait Sethna heard the petition filed by the Mithila Chhath Puja Sangh. The petition followed an objection from the senior inspector of D B Marg police station, who had opposed the construction of a stage and other arrangements proposed for the event. The planned arrangements were to remain in place from 3 pm to 8 am on both days.
The police objection was dated September 17. The Sangh’s advocate, Jogendra Thakur, told the court that the organisation’s representation to the chief minister, submitted on October 7, was still pending. He also sought permission for the religious celebrations at the beach during the festival period.
The state’s advocate referred the bench to a 2018 High Court order regulating events at Girgaum Chowpatty. Under that order, four events are permitted on a designated 4,180-square-metre area of the beach. The court specifically asked whether the organisers had complied with the order, including the requirement relating to permission from a monitoring committee and the committee’s involvement in the proceedings.
According to the report placed before the court, the petitioner’s counsel had no satisfactory answer to those questions. The bench therefore declined to grant the urgent relief sought by the organisation. The ruling means the proposed Chhath Puja celebrations cannot proceed at Girgaum Chowpatty under the plea considered by the vacation bench.
The court also addressed the constitutional argument raised in relation to religious practice. The judges said Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion, but added that the right is subject to public order, morality and health. The bench described these limits as necessary checks and balances under the constitutional provision.
The dispute highlights the administrative constraints attached to the use of Mumbai’s heavily occupied public beaches. Girgaum Chowpatty is not only a site for public gatherings but also a coastal urban space where event permissions involve crowd management, temporary construction, public safety and oversight by designated authorities. The court’s reference to the 2018 order places those considerations within an established regulatory framework rather than treating the proposed event as an isolated permission request.
During the hearing, Thakur pressed the court to issue directions for an alternative site. The judges did not grant that request and said the petitioner could pursue remedies available in law. The matter has been directed to be listed when the High Court reopens.
