Mangaluru: Cultural sector protests nighttime sound ban; artists, associations to hold awareness meet on Sept 9

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, September 5, 2025: The recent enforcement of a ban on loudspeakers during nighttime has dealt a severe blow to the coastal region’s cultural sphere. Plays, Yakshagana performances, and temple fairs are being stopped by the police, creating widespread concern among artists and cultural communities.

Condemning this sudden enforcement, theatre and Yakshagana artists, along with sound and music operators, shamiana service providers, and others connected to the field, will hold a public awareness meeting on September 9 at Kadri Gorakshanatha Hall, said Yakshagana Bhagavata Patla Satish Shetty.

 

 

Speaking at a press meet held at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad office, leaders pointed out that Yakshagana and theatre have thrived here for centuries. Today, however, cultural programs cannot be conducted without sound systems. The rule banning loudspeakers after 10 p.m. has caused severe hardship not only to performers but also to those engaged in sound, light, shamiana, and related services. Soon, even temple rituals, kola, and offerings to deities will face similar disruption. With the festival and Yakshagana season beginning in October, the gathering is being organized to draw the government’s attention, they said.

When asked whether they would take legal action against the 2022 state government order banning loudspeakers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., Satish Shetty clarified that the upcoming awareness meet would decide the next course of action.

Speakers at the press meet alleged that such rules are being imposed only in the coastal districts, effectively shutting down the cultural scene under the guise of law. “Nearly 80% of artists depend on their art for livelihood. Stopping plays midway and banning night performances is like snatching away people’s food,” said playwright Devdas Kapikad.

VHP leaders Sharan Pampayil, Purushottam, and representatives of various organizations were present.