Mathura, April 22 The loudspeakers at the Sri Krishna Janmasthan Temple in Mathura may have fallen silent after they were voluntarily disconnected, but the voices of dissent on the issue are now getting louder.
Local residents and devotees have said that putting off loudspeakers would rob the holy city of its character.
"In the Hindu religion it is believed that if one cannot recite 'shlokas' and mantras, listening to their recitals is equally beneficial. We have been used to listening to 'aarti' and 'mangalacharan' from the temples and this silence is now deafening," said Sheela Nathani, a septuagenarian devotee.
Another devotee, Prem Narain Sharma, said that Vrindavan did not seem the same after the loudspeakers have fallen silent.
"Hearing the aarti on loudspeakers has been a way of life and the ban cannot be explained," he said.
The temple is one of the few big shrines in Mathura where loudspeakers are used for the aarti every morning at 5.30 a.m.
Many other temples use loudspeakers with small speakers to conduct the morning aarti.
Earlier this week, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued directives saying no permission would be given to anyone for installing loudspeakers at any new site.
"Though mikes can be used, make sure that nothing can be heard outside the premises. Other people should not face any problem," he had stated.
The move comes after a loudspeaker row in the state during Hanuman Jayanti, with right-wing groups calling for disablement of loudspeakers in mosques.
The temple management, however, stated that it would resume the use of loudspeakers "if mosques in the city do not discontinue using them for Azaan and other prayers".
Shri Krishna Janamsthan Seva Sansthan Secretary, Kapil Sharma said that following the Chief Minister's orders, he took the decision after discussing it with senior members of the organisation.
"This initiative was taken to convey the message to other religious places in the district to stop using loudspeakers. This is the first time that loudspeakers have been disabled in the temple, regarded as the birthplace of Lord Krishna," he stated.
The priest of another Krishna temple that the ethos of the holy city was being disturbed by the ban on loudspeakers.
"There has never been any dispute over loudspeakers from temples and mosques. Both have co-existed with respect for each other. We do not understand the need for this ban," the priest who spoke on the condition of anonymity said.
Last week, loudspeakers installed at a mosque in Mathura's Govardhan area were also disabled by police after BJP workers threatened to chant the Hanuman Chalisa and perform a 'havan' to mark Hanuman Jayanti in front of the place of worship.
BJP MLA in Aligarh, Mukta Raja has sought information from the district administration about loudspeakers installed at mosques across the city.
In a letter, Raja asked about the number of mosques with loudspeakers and inquired about the appropriate sound intensity, as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
The MLA also directed the additional district magistrate to conduct a physical examination of loudspeakers to check whether they abide by the norms.
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