'Azan In Morning Disturbing Sleep And Causing Headache': Allahabad University VC Complains To Local Administration

Prof Sangita Srivastava, the Vice-Chancellor of Allahabad University, has written a letter to Prayagraj DM Bhanu Chandra Goswami stating that loud azan from a mosque near to her residence is disturbing her sleep, resulting in headache and causing loss of work hours.

In a letter titled “Noise Pollution in Civil Lines, Prayagraj,” professor complained about the noise pollution from Lal Masjid located just 400 metres from the V-C’s residence in Civil Lines.

“This is to bring to your kind notice that every morning at about 5.30 am my sleep is disturbed due to loud azan done on the mike by the maulvi in the surrounding mosque. The sleep so disturbed does not resume even after trying hard. This also results in a headache, throughout the day, causing losses in work hours,” she said in the letter addressed to senior officials.

She also quoted the judgement of Allahabad high court which stated that recitation of azan (call to prayer) through loudspeakers or other sound-amplifying devices cannot be said to be an integral part of the religion, reports The Indian Express.

Opposing the letter, Lucknow-based prominent Sunni cleric Maulana Khalid Rasheed said on Wednesday (17 March) that “the letter written by Allahabad (University) V-C which speaks about the restriction on usage of loudspeaker for azaan. We oppose it. She should be aware that our country is famous for its Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. People in the country respect others’ religions and this is the reason that the sound of azan from mosques and bhajan and kirtan from temples is always in the air. No one’s sleep has been disturbed due to it.”