Solapur pioneers Maha’s first DJ-free Ganesh immersion after citizen-led campaign

In a first for Maharashtra, Solapur city held this year’s Ganesh immersion procession without a single DJ sound system or laser light, marking a major shift in how festivals are celebrated

In a first for Maharashtra, Solapur city held this year’s Ganesh immersion procession without a single DJ sound system or laser light, marking a major shift in how festivals are celebrated. The streets came alive, instead, with beats of lezim and dhol-tasha and chants of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ as Solapur initiated the state’s first 100% DJ-free Ganesh immersion.

The streets came alive, instead, with beats of lezim and dhol-tasha and chants of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ as Solapur initiated the state’s first 100% DJ-free Ganesh immersion. (HT)

The DJ-free campaign was born not out of convenience but tragedy. Earlier during the Shiv Jayanti procession in February this year, Raju Yadgirikar, 58, of Salgar Vasti requested the organisers to lower the volume for the sake of his ailing mother, 80, only to be humiliated and forced to sit beside the blaring system which left him permanently deaf. During another procession in August this year, Abhishek Birajdar, 27, collapsed and died of a heart attack while dancing to loud DJ beats at Ramlal Chowk. Recalling the tragedy, Dr Shrikant Patil, a cardiologist from a private hospital in Solapur, said, “When Abhishek was brought in, he had already suffered a massive cardiac arrest. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts, we could not revive him. The combination of extreme noise levels, physical exertion, and stress created a fatal trigger. Loud DJ systems are not just a nuisance, they pose a real, measurable threat to human health. Young lives like Abhishek’s should not be lost to something so entirely preventable.”

The mishaps forced a group of people to come together and launch what they named the ‘DJ-free Solapur Action Committee’. Advocate Dhananjay Mane, unanimously chosen as president of the action committee, said, “These tragedies shook Solapur’s conscience. For years, people suffered in silence. On August 7, 2025, a group of citizens resolved to act and on August 12, we formally launched the DJ-Free Solapur Action Committee. Doctors, senior citizens, students, and ordinary citizens joined hands. We organised signature drives, collecting more than 42,000 signatures in a single day outside Siddheshwar Temple. The anger transformed into a people’s movement.”

The campaign gained momentum when senior citizens and doctors took to the streets. On August 20 this year, over 300 senior citizens representing 22 organisations marched from the Government rest house to the collector’s office, rain notwithstanding, demanding a DJ-free Ganeshotsav. Drawing inspiration from them, 538 doctors on August 25 marched from the officers’ club to the police commissioner’s office with the Indian Medical Association (IMA); National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA); and groups from homeopathy, physiotherapy and Ayurveda; hospital associations; and medical colleges joining hands in a show of solidarity.

Immersion day on September 6 was a culmination of these efforts when domestic immersions began peacefully even as the civic body and police administration coordinated the main immersion procession. By evening, seven central mandals began their immersion processions. The DJs were replaced by over 125 to 130 lezim pathaks and over 40 dhol-zhanj groups as traditional beats and chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya took the place of blaring speakers. Residents thronged the streets as both children and the elderly enjoyed the festive atmosphere.

Participants and observers described the DJ-free Ganesh immersion as a golden day in Solapur’s history. Citizens expressed joy on social media, in public statements, and in conversations. Sunita Deshmukh, a schoolteacher who attended the procession along with her children, said, “For the first time in years, I felt safe bringing my children to the immersion. Earlier, deafening DJs made it impossible for families to enjoy. This year was different. The beats of lezim and dhol created devotion and excitement without hurting the ears or scaring kids. Elderly women, young girls, and entire families stood together, smiling and clapping. The DJ-free movement has given the festival back to ordinary people.”

Prof Vilas More, president of the Senior Citizens’ Apex Committee, said, “This DJ-free Ganesh immersion must be written in golden letters in history. This tradition must now continue during Navratri, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti.”

The move to ban DJs and lasers was not just about noise but about reclaiming culture and safeguarding health. Dr Prasad Kelkar, leading ENT (ear-nose-throat) surgeon, said, “Every year after the processions, I see eight to 10 patients suffering from severe ear-related problems due to loud DJs. Some cases are temporary tinnitus or vertigo, but a few patients suffer irreversible hearing loss. These are often young people who should have decades of healthy life ahead. As doctors, we cannot remain silent spectators. Our fight is not against the celebrations but against the dangerous misuse of sound. The 2025 immersion proved people can enjoy traditions, music, and cultural energy without risking health.”

Dr Nagnath Jiddimani, president of NIMA Solapur, said, “For years, the Vidi Gharkul area saw DJs and laser lights dominate the immersion. This year, not one was present. Instead, the enthusiasm of lezim and dhol pathaks was inspiring. Clearly, people’s mentality has changed.”

District collector Kumar Ashirwad praised the citizens saying, “This year, not only Solapur city but the entire Solapur district celebrated Ganpati Visarjan 100% DJ-free. The credit for making Solapur DJ-free goes entirely to the people. Senior citizens, doctors, students, and ordinary citizens demanded it, and we only passed the orders and ensured strict implementation. Citizens, the police, and Ganesh mandals all came together.”

Police commissioner M Raj Kumar said, “The role of the DJ-Free Action Committee was vital but so was the cooperation of mandal leaders, DJ operators, decorators, and citizens. As a result, we saw cultural performances, traditional instruments, and families—including women and children—attending in large numbers. Even our police staff could communicate easily during the bandobast. We too enjoyed the procession.”

Advocate Mane said, “The immersion took place without a single DJ and what’s more, no one even demanded one. That is true success. But the fight is not over—DJ is like cancer. Even a trace can spread again. We need at least 12 months of continuous effort like chemotherapy to eradicate it completely.”