In response to restrictions on the use of loudspeakers, six mosques in Mumbai have adopted a mobile phone application called Online Azan to deliver the call to prayer directly to worshippers in real time. Developed by a Tamil Nadu-based company, the app offers an alternative to traditional loudspeakers, allowing the faithful to listen to the azan from their neighbourhood mosque via their smartphones.
Fahad Khalil Pathan, managing trustee of Mahim Juma Masjid, explained that the app enables users to stay connected to prayer times, especially during Ramzan and other periods when public announcements are restricted.
“The initiative comes after a police crackdown on the use of loudspeakers, where officers visited the mosque and warned that loudspeaker use could result in action. This led to the mosque temporarily disabling its sound system,” he told PTI.
Application will stream live audio of azan
To maintain the spiritual connection for worshippers, especially the elderly and those living nearby, the Mahim mosque adopted the Online Azan app. The application streams live audio of the azan as it is delivered from the mosque. Available on Android and iOS platforms, it was developed with the support of IT professionals from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.
Pathan added that 10x15 box speakers installed at the mosque do not have the same reach as traditional loudspeakers. "Many people who were accustomed to hearing the azan through loudspeakers have found it difficult to hear the call for prayers from the mosque. In this backdrop, the Online Azan app has proven to be very helpful,” he said.
Users can select their locality and choose the nearest mosque
According to Pathan, over the last three days, 500 residents near Mahim Juma Masjid have registered on the app, and six mosques in Mumbai are now connected to its India-based server. Users simply download the app, select their locality, and choose the nearest mosque to receive live notifications when the azan is delivered.
He also clarified that the Bombay High Court has not banned loudspeakers but has set permissible sound limits—55 decibels during the day and 45 at night. “In response and on recurring request from the police, we have voluntarily stopped using loudspeakers and have shifted to box speakers to comply with the guidelines,” Pathan said.
App has 250 mosques registered with it
Mohammed Ali, co-founder of Online Azan, said the app’s parent company, now three years old, has 250 mosques in Tamil Nadu registered with it. The registration process involves submitting an application form, address proof of the mosque, and the Aadhaar card of the person giving the call to prayer.
The innovation has received praise from political figures as well. Mumbai Congress general secretary Asif Farooqui welcomed the use of new technology, saying, “Loudspeakers were just a medium to convey what needs to be said in a larger way. There should be no disturbance to others. Prayer is important and not loudspeaker.”
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who has been leading a campaign against unauthorised loudspeaker use on mosques in Mumbai, claimed that due to his efforts, 1,500 loudspeakers without permission have been removed from the city.
(With PTI inputs)
