Sankirtana

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''Kirtana'' (; ), also rendered as ''Kiirtan'', ''Kirtan'' or ''Keertan'', is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, Bhajan, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts, connoting a musical form of narration, shared recitation, or devotional singing, particularly of spiritual or religious ideas, native to the Indian subcontinent. A person performing kirtan is known as a ''kirtankara'' (or ''kirtankar,'' कीर्तनकार).

With roots in the Vedic ''anukirtana'' tradition, a kirtan is a call-and-response or antiphonal style song or chant, set to music, wherein multiple singers recite the names of a deity, describe a legend, express loving devotion to a deity, or discuss spiritual ideas. It may include dancing or direct expression of ''bhavas'' (emotive states) by the singer. Many kirtan performances are structured to engage the audience where they either repeat the chant,Sara Brown (2012), ''Every Word Is a Song, Every Step Is a Dance'', PhD Thesis, Florida State University (Advisor: Michael Bakan), pages 25-26, 87-88, 277 or reply to the call of the singer.

A kirtan performance includes an accompaniment of regionally popular musical instruments, especially Indian instruments like the Indian harmonium, the veena, sitar, or ektara (strings), the tabla (one-sided drums), the mrdanga or pakhawaj (two-sided drum), flute (woodwinds), and karatalas or talas (cymbals). It is a major practice in Hinduism, Vaisnava devotionalism, Sikhism, the Sant traditions, and some forms of Buddhism, as well as other religious groups. Kirtan is sometimes accompanied by story-telling and acting. Texts typically cover religious, mythological or social subjects.

Etymology and nomenclature

The term ''kirtana'' (Devanagari: कीर्तन) generally means "telling, narrating, describing, enumerating, reporting". The Sanskrit root of kirtan is ''kirt'' (). The term is found in the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, and other Vedic literature, as well as the Vedanga and Sutras literature. ''Kirt'', according to Monier-Williams, contextually means "to mention, make mention of, tell, name, call, recite, repeat, relate, declare, communicate, commemorate, celebrate, praise, glorify".

The term kirtan is found as ''anukirtan'' (or ''anukrti'', ''anukarana'', literally "retelling") in the context of a Yajna (Vedic ritual offering), which meant a dual recitation of Vedic hymns in a dialogue style that was part of a ritual dramatic performance.

The Sanskrit verses in the ''Shatapatha Brahmana'' (chapter 13.2, c. 800–700 BCE), for example, are written in the form of a riddle play between two actors. According to Louis Renou, in this text, "the Vedic sacrifice (''yajna'') is presented as a kind of drama, with its actors, its dialogues, its portion to be set to music, its interludes, and its climaxes."ML Varadpande (1990), History of Indian Theatre, Volume 1, Abhinav, , pages 45–47

Generally speaking, kirtan, sometimes called ''sankirtana'' (literally, "collective performance"), is a kind of collective chanting or musical conversation. As a genre of religious performance art, it developed in the Indian bhakti movements as a devotional religious practice (i.e. bhakti yoga). But it is a heterogeneous practice that varies regionally, according to Christian Novetzke, and includes varying mixtures of musical instruments, dance, oration, theatre, audience participation, and moral narration.

In Maharashtra for example, Novetzke says, a kirtan is a call-and-response style performance, ranging from devotional dancing and singing by a lead singer and audience to an "intricate scholarly treatise, a social commentary or a philosophical/linguistic exposition" that includes narration, allegory, humor, erudition and entertainment—all an aesthetic part of ''ranga'' (beauty, color) of the kirtan.

Kirtan is locally known by various names, including ''Abhang'', ''Samaj Gayan'', ''Haveli Sangeet'', ''Vishnupad'', ''Harikatha, and Padabali''. Vaishnava temples in Assam and northeastern Indian have large worship halls called ''kirtan ghar''—a name derived from their being used for congregational singing and performance arts. Kirtan is also sometimes called ''harinam'' (Sanskrit: harināma) in some Vaishnava traditions, which means " hantingthe names of God (Hari)."

In regional languages, kirtan is scripted as ; Nepali and ; ; ; / ; Sindhi: / ; ; .

Bhajan and kirtan

Kirtans and ''bhajans'' are closely related, sharing common aims (devotion, faith, spiritual uplift and liberation), subjects, and musical themes. A ''bhajan'' is freer, and can be a single melody performed by a single singer with or without musical instruments. ''Kirtan'', in contrast, is generally a group performance, typically with a call and response or antiphonal musical structure, similar to an intimate conversation or gentle sharing of ideas. Kirtan also generally includes two or more musical instruments, and has roots in Sanskrit prosody and poetic meter.

Many ''kirtans'' are structured for more audience participation, where the singer calls a spiritual chant, a hymn or a devotional theme, the audience responds by repeating the chant or by chanting back a reply of their shared beliefs.

Hindu kirtan

A modern kirtan performance

Musical recitation of hymns, mantras and the praise of deities has ancient roots in Hinduism, and may be found in the Vedic literature. A key feature of popular Hindu kirtan is that it is mostly sung in vernacular languages like Hindi and Bengali (unlike Vedic chanting, which is done in Sanskrit), though this may include Sanskrit mantras.Arnold et al (1998). ''The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent,'' p. 247. Taylor & Francis. This style of vernacular singing became popular during the medieval era (1300–1550) and the early modern period (1550–1750).

Hindu kirtan is influenced by the practices and teachings of the various devotional Bhakti movements, who emphasized emotional loving relationship with a personal God, and also by the figures of the Sant tradition (like Kabir, Ravidas, and Namdev). Beginning with the Tamil Alvars and Nayanars in around the 6th century, bhakti spread outside Tamilakam after the 12th century. The foundations of the kirtan traditions are also found in works like the ''Bhagavad-gita'' which describes the bhakti marga (path of loving devotion to god) as a means to moksha. References to kirtan as a musical recitation are also found in the ''Bhagavata Purana'', an important Vaishnava text. The story of Prahlada in the ''Avatara Katha'' mentions kirtan as one of nine forms of bhakti.

Bhakti poets and musicians like Jayadeva (the 12th century author of the Sanskrit ''Gita Govinda'') were influential in the development of Indian devotional music genres like kirtan (which, though written in the vernacular, often imitated the style of Sanskrit bhakti poems).Arnold et al (1998). ''The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent,'' pp. 249, 845. Taylor & Francis. Jayadeva was a great classical composer and wrote devotional music in the dhruvapada style (which is similar to dhrupad).

There are various forms of Hindu kirtan, including northern traditions (often influenced by Hindustani music and Bengali music) and southern ( Carnatic) traditions. Speaking of the Bengali kirtan tradition, Peggy Holroyde writes that "kirtans do not strictly adhere to the raga scale and they incorporate a chorus led by a leader. Much of the musical value is subordinated to the sentimental emotion expressed in the words of the song."Holroyde, Peggy (2017).
Indian Music: A Vast Ocean of Promise
', Routledge. Regarding the southern (Carnatic) traditions of kirtan, they are generally "less ornate" than northern kirtan, making less use of "grace, trills and arabesques", but they are also much more structured musical forms.

While kirtan is influenced by the practice of Indian classical music, they are much simpler than the complicated instrumental and vocal compositions of Indian classical ensembles. The focus of kirtan is on the lyrics or mantras, which deliver religious messages and stories. Guy Beck, writing on the northern kirtan tradition, states that "melody and rhythm are important, but devotional singers normally deplore musical virtuosity for its own sake, in contrast with the classical Hindustani and Karnatak traditions, which emphasize improvisation and technical mastery. A large variety of musical styles and forms exist, and no single formula has ever been mandated by custom to the exclusion of others. Musicians and religious leaders thus freely compose religious and devotional songs."Arnold et al (1998). ''The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent,'' p. 248. Taylor & Francis. However, some kirtan styles ''are'' highly refined and technical, like dhrupad and Bengali padavali kirtan, which is considered by Bengalis to be the most cultured religious music.

Regarding the arrangement, most kirtan performances are done by a group, with a choir led by a lead singer sitting on the floor, though sometimes, kirtan is done by standing group in temples, religious processions, or on the street.

Generally speaking, the performance may begin with recitations of Sanskrit mantras, like Om, names of deities, and may also include some Sanskrit prayers.Arnold et al (1998). ''The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia : the Indian subcontinent,'' p. 255. Taylor & Francis. Then the lead singer sings a song or a mantra while accompanying himself with a versatile instrument (like a harmonium or a sarangi), and the chorus (which may include the audience as well) repeats the lines and provides musical accompaniment and keeps the rhythm (with percussion instruments like the tabla). Sometimes the lead may have some solo lines, and the chorus can accompany them with a refrain. The performance may be punctuated by short sermons or stories. The song repertoire is generally drawn from medieval authors, but may include more recent additions. In temples, a formal worship ceremony (arati) may also follow.

Styles of Hindu kirtan

Northern Vaishnava kirtan

One important promoter of Vaishnava kirtan in Bengal was Chandidas (1339–1399), who introduced Vaishnava kirtan in Bengali and was very influential on later Vaishnava northern kirtan. Chandidas was instrumental in the Bengali Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā tradition, a form of tantric Vaishnavism focused on Radha and Krishna which flourished in Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and Assam.Hayes, Glen A
"The Vaisnava Sahajiya Traditions of Medieval Bengal"
in ''Religions of India in Practice'', edited by Donald S. Lopez, Jr., Princeton Readings in Religions, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995: 333-351. The Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā tradition produced many great Bengali language poets and singers.Young, Mary (2014). ''The Baul Tradition: Sahaj Vision East and West,'' pp. 27-36. SCB Distributors.

The 16th century CE saw an explosion of Vaishnava kirtan in the north. During this time, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu popularized Krishna based kirtan in Bengal, promoting and teaching the singing of Vaishnava songs which celebrate the love between Radha and Krishna, understood as being the love between the soul and God. Chaitanya is also known as the father of padavali singing, a highly developed and complex musical tradition. Padavali kirtan is further linked to process of devotional visualization in Gaudiya Vaisnava practice through a specific musical form that uses slow tempos and large tals (meters) in performance.

About the same time, Shankaradeva (1449–1568) in Assam inspired the Ekasarana Dharma bhakti movement that emphasized Advaita Vedanta philosophy within the Vaishnava framework of the ''Bhagavata Purana''. Shankaradeva helped establish ''Sattras'' (Hindu temples and monasteries) with ''kirtan-ghar'' (also called ''Namghar''), for Krishnaite singing and dramatic performance.

Meanwhile, in the Braj region, Vallabha acharya launched a devotional movement which focused on kirtan songs about baby Krishna and his early childhood. One ofshoot of this tradition is the Radha-centered Radha-vallabha Sampradaya, whose singing style known as Haveli Sangeet is based on Hindustani classical forms like "dhrupad" and " dhamar". Another kirtan style shared by the Braj traditions like the Vallabha, Haridasi, and Nimbarka is samaj gayan, which is a kind of collective singing.

Kirtan as a genre of religious music has been a major part of the Vaishnavism tradition, particularly starting with the Alvars of Sri Vaishnavism sub-tradition between the 7th to 10th century CE. After the 13th-century, two subgenres of kirtan emerged in Vaishnavism, namely the '' Nama-kirtana'' wherein the different names or aspects of god (a Vishnu avatar) are extolled, and the ''Lila- kirtana'' wherein the deity's life and legends are narrated.

In the modern era, north Indian styles of kirtan are widely practiced in the modernist movements of Swami Sivananda, Anandamayi Ma, Sri Aurobindo, and A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Carnatic traditions

In Andhra Pradesh, the compositions of the Tallapaka Annamacharya, a 14th-century Vaishnava mystic, represent the earliest known southern music called "sankirtana". He wrote in praise of Lord Venkateswara, the deity of Seven Hills in Tirumala. During his long and prolific career, he reputedly composed and sang 32,000 Sankirtanas and 12 Shatakas (sets of hundred verses) in both Telugu and Sanskrit.

Marathi kirtan

Maharashtri musicians at Veerabhadra Devasthan, Vadhav
A kirtan circle in Maharashtra
There are three main styles of Marathi kirtan, Varkari, Naradiya and Jugalbandi.

Varkari Kirtan was pioneered by Sant Namdev (1270–1350) in Maharashtra. It is usually based on the works of seven famous Maharashtri saints: Saint Nivruttinath, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sopandev, Muktabai, saint Eknath, Saint Namdev, and Saint Tukaram. Marathi kirtan is typically performed by one or two main performers, accompanied by harmonium and ''tabla''. It involves singing, acting, dancing, and story-telling.

The show goes for two or three hours as time permits and is not divided into parts like "Naradiya Kirtan". This form was effectively performed for years by personalities like Hari Bhakti Parayan (sincere devotee of god) Sonopant (mama) Dandekar, Dhunda maharaj Deglurkar, Babamaharaj Satarkar, Dekhanebuwa, and many others in modern times. An institute at Alandi near Pune offers training in this form of Kirtan.

Naradiya Kirtan is divided into five main parts: naman (prayer), Purvaranga (the main spiritual lesson), chanting the names of God, katha or Akhyan (a story to support the lesson), final prayer. The Naradiya Marathi Kirtan popular in Maharashtra is most often performed by a single performer, and contains the poetry of saints of Maharashtra such as Dnyaneshwar, Eknath, Namdev and Tukaram. Learned poets from 17th and 18th century such as Shridhar, Mahipati, and Moropant contributed to develop this form of kirtan. A Naradiya kirtan performance can last for period of any length, from half an hour to three hours. Attendees may wear traditional clothing and the performers use instruments like the Indian harmonium, drums, and string instruments of various types mostly "Zanz", "chipali", "Tal" or "Chimata". Naradiya kirtan performers are usually very learned in literature, music, dance, acting and comedy.

Jugalbandi Kirtan is performed by two persons, allowing question-answer, dialogue and debate. Performance requires skill in music, dance, comedy, oratory, debate, memory, general knowledge and Sanskrit literature. Training takes place at the Kirtan Kul in Sangli, the Akhil Bharatiya Kirtan Sanstha in Dadar, Mumbai, the Narad Mandir at Sadashiv Peth, Pune and the Kalidas Mahavidyalay in Ramtek, Nagpur as well as at smaller schools in Goa, Beed and Ujjain.

Sikhism

file:Photograph of Bhai Jawala Singh Ragi playing accordion (vaaja), Bhai Gurcharn Singh on Jori, and Bhai Avtar Singh on Taus at Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore, ca.1935.jpg, Bhai Jawala Singh Ragi playing harmonium, Bhai Gurcharn Singh on Jori, and Bhai Avtar Singh on Taus at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore, 1935

''Kirtan'' (Gurmukhi: ਕੀਰਤਨ ''Kīratana'') refers to devotional singing in Sikhism. It is typically performed at Gurdwaras (Sikh temples). Sikh scriptures and legends are usually recited in a song, to a certain ''raga'' and accompanied with musical instruments. The Gurus themselves created numerous musical instruments including the Taus, the Sarangi, the Saranda and a modification of the Pakhawaj (called Jori) creating an early form of the Tabla.

A ''Shabad Kirtan'' refers to the musical recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the primary scripture in the Sikhism tradition which is arranged according to ''raga''. ''Shabad Kirtan'' can be listened to silently or sung along with the gathered congregation.

''Kirtan'' in Sikh history has been the musical analog of ''Kathas'' recitation, both preferably performed by ''ragi jatha'', or professional trained performers. A Sikh Kirtan is a religious, aesthetic and social event, usually held in a congregational setting on Sundays or over certain festivals to honor the historical Gurus, but major temples in the Sikh tradition recite ''Kirtan'' every day as a mark of daily bhakti (devotional remembrance) of God's name.

This congregational setting is called a ''Sangat'' or ''Satsang'', a word that in ancient Indian texts means "like minded individuals, or fellow travelers on a spiritual journey".

Buddhism

Numerous Buddhist traditions use vocal music with instrumental accompaniment as part of their rituals and devotional practices. Buddhist vocal music and chanting is often part of Buddhist rituals and festivals in which they may be seen as offerings to the Buddha. Chants, songs and plays about the life of the Buddha by the Buddhists of Bengal are sometimes called ''Buddha-samkirtan'' or ''Buddha kirtan.'' Instruments like the Indian harmonium, flute, dotara, khol

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