Kirtan

Kirtan is the call-and-response chanting of Hindu devotional names and mantras, practiced in India for centuries and carried worldwide by the modern yoga movement. A lead singer (kirtaniya) chants a name of the divine, most often Krishna or Rama, and the congregation answers, over harmonium, mridanga drum, kartals and tanpura; repetition builds tempo and intensity toward collective ecstasy. In the West, *Krishna Das*, *Deva Premal*, *Snatam Kaur* and *Jai Uttal* adapted the practice for concert halls, festivals and yoga studios, recording with Western producers while keeping the Sanskrit chant and responsive structure at its center.