Following is more information about kirtan. For information about the Kirtan Wallahs, click here.

Kirtan is a form of devotional chanting from the ancient traditions of India. This powerful, transformational spiritual practice is a central component of bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion. Bhakti yoga is considered the easiest path to moksha, or liberation, in this age. Kirtan opens the heart, purifies the entire being and the surrounding atmosphere and stills the mind for meditation.

As a traditional practice, it is regularly done in the ashrams and centers of most of the great spiritual teachers of India, many of whom have thousands of followers in the U.S. and elsewhere outside India. These teachers emphasize the importance of kirtan as part of a regular a practice.

Kirtan typically involves call-and-response, repetitive chanting of simple mantras and names of the Divine Beings of the Vedic and Shaivite traditions. Typically, the melodies are quite simple, harmonies are avoided and often the tempo of a chant increases over time. It is becoming more common to hear harmonies in the Westernized version of kirtan.

There are other forms of chanting from these traditions, including the chanting of sacred texts (archana) and bhajans. The latter differ from kirtan in that they are typically comprised of verses of devotional lyrics that are more descriptive in nature. Bhajans are also often sung without the traditional call-and-response form found in kirtan and the melodies can be more complex as well. Because of the multiple verses of less familiar words and sometimes also more difficult melodies, bhajans are not as easy to learn and chant with a group as kirtan.

Two of the spiritual teachers with which Natesh has spent many years have made numerous statements about the benefits of chanting. Ammachi (Mata Amritanandamayi) has said:

"Devotional singing is a spiritual discipline aimed at concentrating the mind on one's Beloved Deity. Through that one-pointedness, one can merge in the Divine Being and experience the Bliss of one's True Self."

Natesh’s first teacher in this tradition, Baba Muktananda, said:


"Chanting opens the heart and makes love flow within us. It releases such intoxicating inner bliss that simply through the nectar it generates, we can enter the abode of the Self."

There is an upsurge of popularity of kirtan in the West, being fueled in part by people that became exposed to it in the context of traditional spiritual practices with their spiritual teachers, or gurus, but that have taken it beyond the traditional ashram environment. Krishna Das and Jai Uttal are excellent examples of such Western devotees that have helped to popularize kirtan through their recordings and touring, bringing kirtan to people that might not otherwise be exposed to it or have a chance to chant with others in their community. Other Westerners have incorporated the energy and essence of kirtan and devotional chanting into their music, such as Deva Premal and Shantala.

Now, the opportunities to participate with kirtan are multiplying as more people and groups begin offering regular opportunities to chant in their local communities, as Natesh and the Kirtan Wallahs are doing in Sedona.