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Bhajan ala Kirtan??

topic posted Sat, June 4, 2005 - 12:20 AM by  Afghan
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I was at the world rainbow gathering in Turkey a few days ago and this was the first time I came across the term "bhajan". What is the difference, if there is one, between bhajan and kirtan?
posted by:
Afghan
Poland
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  • Re: Bhajan ala Kirtan??

    Sat, June 4, 2005 - 8:45 AM
    kirtan means call and response, its more lively usually and gospel like. whereas bhajan (also means worship-sanskrit root bhaj) is more like hymns, where ppl sit down and sing verses that glorify krsna.
    • Re: Bhajan ala Kirtan??

      Sat, June 4, 2005 - 9:33 AM
      yes kirtan or sankirtan generally means stand dance and chant whereas bhajan is sitting.
      • Re: Bhajan ala Kirtan??

        Sat, June 4, 2005 - 9:39 AM
        Ah of course, now it all comes together :) At the various festivals I go to, the krishna brothers and sisters have a kirtan meditation tent, where everybody sings, usually after the bloke who is leading the mantra, and they all dance energetically. At the rainbow the bhajan group were in fact all chilling on the ground in a circle - it is more mellow.

        tnx for the clarity :::)
        • Unsu...
           

          Re: Bhajan ala Kirtan??

          Wed, June 8, 2005 - 12:45 AM
          I'm told that "Kirtan" means "to shout!" So in kirtan, we shout praises to the divine.

          However, I've been to so-called "kirtans" where people are sitting as well as dancing, where one song is a shout and a celebration and the next takes us subtly into stillness...

          Another definition: kirtan as an event, bhajan as a song...

          Om Shanti!

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