Kirtan and mantra singing in India
Kirtan is call-and-response singing of mantras and divine names, and in India it is a living devotional practice, not a performance. You find it in temples and ashrams, at satsangs in city living rooms and in evening gatherings by the Ganga in Rishikesh and Varanasi. No musical experience is needed: the practice is in joining your voice to the group's.
Upcoming gatherings
There are no kirtan gatherings in India on the calendar yet. If this is your practice, you can be the one who opens the first.
Publish the first oneFrequently asked questions
- Do I need to know the mantras or be able to sing?
- No. In kirtan the leader sings a line and the group repeats it, so you learn as you go. Nobody is judged on their voice: the practice is the shared devotion, not the music.
- What is the difference between kirtan and bhajan?
- Both are devotional singing. Kirtan is usually call-and-response and repetitive, built for the whole group to join in, while bhajans are devotional songs that may be sung by one person or a small group.
- How do I book a place?
- It depends on how the practitioner set up the event. If they turned on online payments, you book and pay from the event page. If not, you express your interest and arrange the details directly with whoever leads it.
