Kirtan & Bhajan Sandhya

Kirtan & Bhajan Sandhya

Hindi: कीर्तन व भजन संध्या. This is a devotional gathering — an evening of singing at home or in a community hall, offered to the chosen deity of the family. It sits within the wider category of devotional pujas, paths and homas. A typical sandhya runs about 3 hours. There is no havan, and it is in person only — it is not conducted online.

Significance and when it is done

Kirtan and bhajan are the sung forms of remembrance. Where a formal puja follows a fixed sequence of offerings, a sandhya leans on the voice, the harmonium and the dholak, and on the participation of everyone present. The purpose is simple and stated plainly: an evening of devotional singing at home or in a community hall.

Families arrange it for many reasons — a housewarming, a birthday or anniversary, the close of a period of observance, a gathering in memory of an elder, or simply a wish to have the chosen deity's name sung in the house. Because the format is flexible, the occasion is decided by the family rather than by a single rule. Traditions differ on which evenings are considered most suitable; a qualified jyotishi or the family's own pandit can advise on a date that suits your circumstances.

Who performs it and who should attend

A pandit or kirtankar leads the singing and keeps the sequence. In many homes the family itself supplies the voices, with one or two people on harmonium and dholak; where a larger gathering is expected, musicians are engaged. Everyone is welcome to attend — kirtan is not restricted by age or by how well one knows the verses. Children often join the refrain, and guests may simply listen. There is no requirement that attendees be initiated; the mood is one of shared listening and shared singing.

Vidhi step by step (outline)

The exact order varies by region and by the deity chosen. A common outline runs as follows:

• Purification and sankalp: the space is cleaned, a diya is lit, and the family states its intention for the evening.
• Ganesh smaran and invocation: remembrances are offered at the start so that the gathering begins without obstruction.
• Kalash sthapana and puja of the chosen deity: the kalash is set, and a short puja is offered with roli, haldi, akshat, flowers and naivedya.
• Kirtan and bhajan: the main body of the evening — sung verses, often beginning slowly and building in participation.
• Aarti: camphor and incense are offered, with everyone standing.
• Prasad and closing: sweets and fruits are distributed, and the family offers dakshina to the pandit and musicians.

Preparing the samagri and the space

Samagri for a sandhya is modest, since the emphasis is on singing rather than on elaborate offering. The list below is the standard set:

• Roli (kumkum)
• Haldi
• Akshat (unbroken rice)
• Moli (sacred thread)
• Supari
• Paan leaves
• Coconut
• Ghee
• Diya and cotton wicks
• Camphor
• Incense sticks
• Flowers and garland
• Fruits
• Sweets for naivedya
• Ganga jal
• Kalash
• Harmonium and dholak (or musicians)
• Prasad

For the space: choose a clean, uncluttered area, ideally where the family already keeps its mandir. A raised seat or chowki for the deity, a mat or carpet for those who will sit on the floor, and enough room for the harmonium and dholak to be played comfortably. Light should be soft but sufficient to read from a book of bhajans. If the sandhya is in a community hall, confirm the seating arrangement and the timing with the organisers in advance, and keep the samagri in one basket so that nothing is hunted for mid-singing.

Regional variations

Customs differ, and it is best to follow the tradition of your own family or the pandit you have engaged. In some regions the evening opens with a Ganesh vandana and closes with a specific aarti; in others the singing continues without a formal break. North Indian households often use the purnimanta calendar for fixing occasions, while many in the south and west follow the amanta reckoning; Smarta and Vaishnava families may differ on the invocations used. Language of the bhajans also varies — Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali and others each carry their own repertoire. None of these differences makes one form more correct than another.

After the puja: prasad, daan, dos and don'ts

Once the aarti is complete, prasad is distributed to everyone present, and the family may also send prasad to neighbours and to those who could not attend. Daan, where the family wishes to give, is usually directed to the pandit, the musicians, or to a cause the family supports. Dakshina is separate from samagri and travel costs, and each pandit sets their own fee; the range shown on this page reflects typical figures and is not a fixed rate.

Practical points worth remembering:

• Keep the singing area clean and free of food and footwear.
• Do not interrupt the kirtan to conduct other business; let the sequence finish.
• Prasad should be received and eaten respectfully, and not discarded.
• If you are unsure about a date, a muhurat or a family-specific custom, consult a qualified jyotishi or your own pandit rather than relying on general advice.

Kirtan and bhajan sandhya is, at its heart, a simple thing: a house full of voices, a lit diya, and a few hours given to the name of the chosen deity.