A Bhajan is a Hindu devotional song, often but not necessarily of ancient origin. Bhajans are associated with the Bhakti movement.

Bhajans are deeply rooted in the Indian tradition. Bhajans are simple songs in soulful language expressing the many-splendored emotions of love for God, a complete submission or self-surrender to him through singing.

History and Origin

The groundwork for bhajans was laid in the hymns found in Sama Veda, the third Veda in the Hindu scriptures. They are distinguished from the Sanskrit shlokas by virtue of their easy lilting flow, the colloquial renderings and the profound appeal to the mass. These are sung in a group comprising devotees, with a lead singer. The simple tunes, repetition of words (particularly the various Names with which God is addressed) and phrases lend a kind of tonal mesmerism. Anecdotes, episodes from the lives of Gods, preaching of saints, description of God's glories have been the subject of bhajans. Another form of the bhajan is the keertan or songs in the Haridas tradition.

Types of Bhajans

A plunge into the past reveals, that bhajans, as a genre, have come a long way weaving a home for itself into the core of human hearts. Traditions of bhajan — singing have been formed over the ages — Nirguni, Gorakhanathi, Vallabhapanthi, Ashtachhap, Madhura-bhakti are some of them. Each sect has their own sets of bhajans and ways of singing them.

Great Exponents

The medieval age saw devotees like Tulsidas, Surdas, Meera, Kabir and others composing Bhajans. In the modern times, composers like Pt. V. D. Paluskar and Pt. V. N. Bhatkhande have tried to mingle Raga Sangeet or Indian classical music - which had been an exclusive domain of the elite - with bhajans, thereby democratizing the Raga tradition. Towards the latter half of 20th century, Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi has revived/popularized the Bhajan tradition in India and accross the Sai Centers in other parts of world. Sai devotees all over the world perform Bhajans on every Thursday (and Saturday or Sunday) referring to God with various names like: Rama, Krishna, Allah, Jesus, Buddha, Mahavir, Zoroaster, Jehovah etc. without any religious distinction and in a way proclaiming the unity of all faiths and oneness of God.

Popularity with the Masses

The common mass indulges in bhajan-singing without realizing that such traditional methods of invoking the divine can have a tremendous stress-removing impact. Bhajan mandalis that have been in existence in the Indian villages since the beginning of the Bhakti era, have proved to be great social leveller where individuals unhesitatingly participate in the singing, relegating their petty differences to the background. This participatory action elicits recreation and consequently a kind of mental relaxation. They close their eyes to ensure that they concentrate and thereby meditate on this near ecstasy.