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Bhakti or devotion to God is considered to be one of the earliest and the most efficacious forms of spiritual disciplines. Bhajana, also called kirtana, which generally takes the form of singing devotional hymns and songs, is a popular mode of propagating the cult of bhakti or devotion among the masses.
These bhajans and kirtanas may be set to classical tunes and sung by experts; or to simple popular tunes to even folk-tunes, so that the masses can easily follow. The latter is sometime called namavali-bhajans'. Groups of singers of bhajanas, going round a village or a town or a temple is still a common sight, especially in rural India.
Institutions known as 'bhajana-mathas' have also come into existence, to organise congregational singing. Such singing, organised by the singers of different religious cults has resulted in different 'bhajana-paddhatis' or traditions of bhajanas.
Singing of tevarams and prabandhams of the saints of Tamil Nadu, the dasapadas and vacanas of Karnataka, the abhangas of Maharastra, the Vaisnava kirtanas, the Baulsphere music and the Kali-kirtanas of Bengal, the bargits of Sankaradeva and his followers in Assam, Mira Bai and Her Padas, Tulasidas (श्री रामचरितमानस), Kabir (Kabir Dohe), Poems of Suradasa and Nanak Bani form the various bhajana-paddhatis or traditions of devotional songs.
Here you will find a large collection of books on bhajan and kirtan.
FAQs
Bhajans provide us with a therapeutic effect. Help us in establishing a stable emotional bond helps in calming and soothing our mind, stress, and anxieties busters, and brings mental relaxation, highly beneficial in removing blockages and maintaining balance in our chakras. They enhance our connection with our soul, and Supreme Being.
Improve the flow of prana energy through our body, Enhances friendly connections and relations. Aids in the release of dopamine- known as the ‘feel-good ‘hormone, improves our analytical skills, and awareness and thus makes us more attentive, Acts as anti-depressants, providing positive vibrations and thoughts removing negative energies.
To sing songs in praise of God and chant god's name accompanied by instruments like taal (cymbals), mridangam, and pakhawaj is known as Bhajan. There are two types of Bhajan, Chakri Bhajan, and Songi Bhajan.
Chakri Bhajans involve the circular movement of devotees. They also sing without breaks.
Songi Bhajan is a type where the performers act as devotees and deliver dialogues in the form of devotional songs. Songi Bhajan is a traditional Folk Musical performing Art. Participants play folk music, sing, dance, and enact. Fast urbanization changed the dimensions of infotainment and people lost interest in such traditional art forms.
A bhajan is the “sharing” of a full song with an intro, chorus, different stanzas, etc about God. It also means singing praise and glories of the Lord, is generally sung either solo or duet. Kirtan means a repetition, "narrating, reciting, and describing" (praise) of the same short verse. Kirtan can also have a call-and-response format where one person says the verse and the rest of the audience repeat after.
Bhajan pleases God but Kirtan is more beneficial as it engages all souls gathered for sankirtan to collectively call the lord to come amidst them, and shower blessings on the devotees.
The ‘bhajan’ means reverence and originates from the root word ‘bhaj’. Bhajans are accompanied by percussion instruments such as tabla, dholak, or a tambourine, hand-held small cymbals (kartals) to maintain the beat. A bhajan may be sung in a temple, a home, under a tree, near a river bank, or a place of significance.
Bhajans are normally lyrical and based on melodic ragas having no prescribed form, or set rules. Ideas from scriptures, legendary epics, the teachings of saints, and loving devotion to a deity are typical subjects in bhajans. Bhajans are composed and shared as a musical and arts tradition.
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