Music of the Soul

Kirtan music for peace, meditation and tranquillity 

Kirtan on the island of Ireland

Image: Julie and Victor sharing kirtan in Belfast

Kirtan stage event in Dublin

Anyone is welcome to attend a kirtan mela to enjoy peaceful music

The History of Kirtan

In India, people have been singing about Rama, Krishna, Govinda, etc in their local languages or in Sanskrit for millennia.

In the year AD1510, kirtan was introduced by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (pictured) as the recommended spiritual path for the present age. Up until that time mantras were chanted to a meter at Vedic ceremonies, but the particular stressing of the importance of combining mantras with music as the most recommmended spiritual discipline for our current times, is due to Chaitanya.

.

Street kirtan in Dublin (pictured)

He promoted singing mantras with musical instruments, particularly the khola (mridanga drum) and karatals (brass hand-cymbals). Initially there was some resistance from caste brahmanas, the established priestly class. But Chaitanya from the age of 15 had already defeated in debate the greatest pundit (scholar) and he was already known as the most erudite and knowledgeable person of his day. He explained on many different levels the benefits of chanting kirtan

Around the world, kirtan was first introduced widely by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada from 1965.

Kirtan is a Sanskrit word meaning 'to chant', or it refers to 'the process of chanting', and it includes a sense of 'repeating', 'describing', and 'glorifying'. Specifically, it refers to the glorification of the Supreme. The reader will doubtlessly be familiar with other Sanskrit words such as yoga, avatar, mantra, guru, and karma which are in use worldwide. In the coming years, we can expect 'kirtan' will become another word that will be more familiar in general usage.


Article sources: (1) Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya-lila 1.16; (2) Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita Chapter 14.

A gentle kirtan at the 2023 kirtan-mela in Dublin

See Kirtanmela.ie to register for this event. All welcome. 

Kirtan.ie

Kirtan is a universal musical meditative experience, meant for anyone living on or visiting the island of Ireland. It really doesn't matter if you have no religion, or identify as being Christian, Buddhist, Pagan, or whatever.  Kirtan is a Sanskrit word from ancient India. 

Radhe Govinda

This video was shot in New York City at the Church Of St. Paul & St. Andrew in October 2013. Rad'hey Govinda: Rad'hey is the divine feminine, the divine Mother, and Govinda is the masculine energy: protector of the Earth, cows & bulls, and spiritual life.