If you’ve been to Bihar during Holi or any other loud festival, you already know it man! It’s more than just a celebration, it’s very much like a performance. But what is the competition for? Tbh, sometimes it feels like competing for who can objectify women better and more.
By 8 in the morning, someone has already mounted a speaker, the bass is going in full swing, kids are screaming in the streets and uncles…uff.. they are dancing like they were the ones that invented gulaal. And someone in the middle of this hoopla, you can see a group of women stopping to hear the lyrics and immediately get mortified at what they just heard.
That moment of mortifying silence is what Bihar is determined to fix in this era. Yes, you heard it right, Bihar’s music is entering its healing era. Ahead of Holi 2026, the Bihar Government has asked police to
That exact moment, that awkward silence and pause is what Bihar’s government says it wants to fix.
Now that Holi 2026 is arriving, the Bihar government has asked the state to dial down vulgar and double-meaning songs, especially in public places. This has been iterated by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who also holds the Home portfolio. According to him, a special campaign will be run and the police units will be instructed to take strict action against anyone who will be seen blasting obscene music publically. This also included FIRs.
And yes, that’s as dramatically charged as it sounds. The police directive isn’t just about DJs at big events. Reports say authorities have been told to monitor loudspeakers in neighbourhoods, local gatherings, processions, even vehicles like buses and autos, anywhere public music turns unavoidable.
The warning is to stop playing vulgar songs, or you might get a “gift you won’t like.” It’s basically a very Bihar-coded way of saying, that “don’t test us.” What’s interesting is that the government has framed this as more than just “bad taste.” Officials have reportedly called vulgar public music a serious social issue, saying it can affect women’s safety and leave a “perverse impact” on children. And if you’ve grown up around Holi soundtracks, you already know what they mean.
The Songs We All Are Guilty Of Tripping On
Bihar music is cheeky and how! It’s catchy, c’mon we’re all guilty of tripping on it. But it also has the capability to put our next 4 generations to shame if just a tad bit of attention to lyrics is paid.
Take this iconic track “Lollipop Lagelu” for example.
It’s catchy, sure. But it’s also a song that reduces a woman into an edible metaphor, and it’s usually being screamed at by a group of men on a moving truck. Or look at the endless “kamariya” genre. “Kamar hilake dekhla, jawani ke fire…”
Hips as fireworks, and jawani as a performance? Yup, not cool. Then you have songs where clothing becomes the entire talking point: “Odhaniya se chehra chhupa ke nacha ta…” Or jewellery: “Nathuniya pe goli chale…”
At some point, it stops being folk flirtation and starts sounding like a public commentary on women’s bodies. And Bihar has decided that commentary does not need to be broadcast at full volume outside people’s homes.
The government’s focus is not private listening. Nobody is coming for your headphones, the issue is when these songs become the soundtrack of public life, when you can’t opt out.
Why This Is Happening Now
And wait, this move is not random and neither is the timing. The issue of obscene songs has been bubbling near the Bihar political rendezvous for years. Do you know, back in March 2023, it was even questioned in the state assembly by Congress MLA. Pratima Kumari urged the government to do something about this issue. At that time, a promise was made.
Now, with Holi approaching, the peak season for loud music, tractor rallies, and DJ culture, that promise is being operationalised into an actual police drive. District police have reportedly been instructed to intervene if such songs are played at gatherings, on streets, or through vehicles. FIRs can be registered. Speakers can be seized and even the campaign is being treated seriously.
It’s not just a “request,” anymore, it’s proper enforcement. And police officials have made it clear that the directive covers songs across languages, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili, not just Hindi party tracks.
Bhojpuri Music And The Obscene Tag It Can’t Shake Off
Bhojpuri music is complicated. It is one of India’s biggest regional entertainment industries, with audiences far beyond Bihar, migrant communities, YouTube charts, wedding circuits, Instagram reels. But it also carries a reputation that follows it like a shadow: the “vulgar song” label. Every year, some track becomes a hit and a controversy at the same time. Sometimes the lyrics are so blunt they barely qualify as “double meaning.” Sometimes they hide behind metaphors.
A line like: “Rang daal na, bhauji, dheere dheere…” sounds festive until you realise how it’s performed in public spaces, often with gestures that aren’t exactly about colours (or decency tbh).
The Problem Of Public Spaces
So, why is the government doing this? One reason is women’s comfort which honestly is often at stake when such lyrics are on display. Holi is many places is not just a simple celebration, it’s more like a public performance.
Groups move through lanes, music follows and crowds gather. Boundaries blur. For women walking through these spaces, going to the market, taking kids somewhere, just existing, loud sexualised lyrics don’t feel like harmless fun.
They feel like a reminder that public spaces aren’t neutral. That is why women’s groups in some districts have reportedly welcomed stricter monitoring. Not because they hate music, but because they know how quickly “festival vibe” becomes “uncomfortable atmosphere.”
What Happens If Someone Still Plays These Songs?
The police are not doing this and assuming any kind of music critic role, they are simply making it clear that action against public vulgarity should be expected. And kudos to them for that.
Authorities are expected to do these:
- register FIRs against organisers or individuals
- seize loudspeakers in serious violations
- monitor not just events but vehicles and processions
Also, not to be missed, relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita may be upheld here too. This will be in regards to especially those dealing with obscene acts and content that insult a woman’s dignity. But it should also be remembered that this is not a permanent ban on Bhojpuri music in Bihar, it’s more like a Holi-season crackdown on its public listening and performances. It’s about making the celebration still count, but with less creepy lyrics.
Bihar’s Holi, But With A Different Soundtrack
So yes, this year Bihar’s Holi will still be colourful, colours will fly, people will dance and someone will still climb a tractor like it’s Coachella. But the state has made one thing clear that the era of blasting songs that turn women into punchlines, metaphors, or targets, at least in public spaces, is being challenged. And honestly? That’s a pretty major playlist reset.