Can Mosques Use Loudspeakers for Five Daily Prayers? High Court Hears Petition From Mumbai

A recent petition filed in the High Court seeks permission to install loudspeakers on mosques, allowing them to broadcast prayers five times a day. The request, submitted by a religious group in Mumbai, argues that amplified sound is needed to call believers to prayer.

Mum­bai | December 10, 2025:However, the High Court  citing earlier judgments  has questioned whether use of loudspeakers constitutes a fundamental religious right. The court pointed out that no religion mandates the use of amplifiers or drums for prayers, and such use could infringe on residents’ right to peace and quiet. The Bench referred to noise‑pollution laws and underscored that amplified call to prayer often disturbs nearby residents, especially children, the elderly, and the sick.

The Court also directed state authorities to submit a report on the number of unauthorised loudspeakers operating across the state, and actions taken against violators. An earlier 2016 order had asked authorities to enforce noise norms and remove illegal loudspeaker installations from religious and other institutions — a directive that appears only partially complied with. Reports from this year suggest that hundreds of unauthorised loudspeakers in mosques, temples and other shrines have already been removed under state enforcement drives.

Civil‑society activists, residents’ groups and health‑experts have welcomed the court’s stance, arguing that repeated early‑morning or late‑night amplified calls disrupt sleep, affect children’s studies and cause health problems. Meanwhile, mosque committees say the appeal is about preserving religious tradition and the right to call believers for prayer.

As the legal battle unfolds, the judgment could set a precedent on how secular laws, environmental concerns and religious freedoms are balanced shaping how religious places broadcast prayer calls going forward.

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