BHAJAN

Bhajan refers to any devotional song with religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any of the languages from the Indian subcontinent.[1] The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means reverence and originates from the root word bhaj (Sanskrit: भजति), means to revere, as in “bhaja govindam”. The term “bhajana” also means sharing.

The term ‘bhajan’ is also commonly used to refer a group event, with one or more lead singers, accompanied with music, and sometimes dancing.[2] Minimally there is a percussion accompaniment such as tabla, a dholak or tambourine. Handheld small cymbals (kartals) are commonly used to maintain the beat, rhythm. A bhajan may be sung in a temple, in a home, under a tree in the open, near a river bank or a place of historic significance.[3]

As a bhajan has no prescribed form, or set rules, it is in free form, normally lyrical and based on melodic ragas.[4] It belongs to a genre of music and arts that developed with the Bhakti movement.[1] It is found in the various traditions of Hinduism but particularly in Vaishnavism.[1] It is also found in Jainism (different religion from Hinduism).