Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi (a reed pipe instrument) because he found its sound shrill, unpleasant, and generally disagreeable. He considered it a "cacophony" rather than music.

His broader reasons for suppressing music and dancing were rooted in his orthodox interpretation of Islamic law, which often discouraged public musical performances and entertainment as un-Islamic. The pungi's specific ban was thus a combination of his personal dislike for its sound and his general religious stance against music.