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Sweet Kirtans or Unhealthy Metal Noise?

Written by WVA correspondent in Miami

Friday, 27 October 2006

Do you get annoyed when kirtan is excessively loud from the clanging of metal bells, jajas and big kartalas? We have observed that many people cannot tolerate such strong sounds, which also destroy the sweet reception of any message.

After talking to elderly members of the Gaudiya Math like Sripad Bhakti Vijnan Bharati Maharaj from Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Srila Hrishikesh Maharaj of Mayapur next to the Vraja Pattan as well as many others, we found out to our surprise that they too suffer from the unhealthy decibel levels of metal noise. Bharati Maharaj said that jajas were originally used to wake up people and announce the arrival of the sankirtan devotees, who came with their sweet sounds.

Bharati Maharaj said that jajas were originally used to wake up people and announce the arrival of the sankirtan devotees, who came with their sweet sounds. Quotation

So when did those heavy sounds become a part of kirtan and does anyone really appreciate this style?

This article intends to collect opinions which can later be presented to the kirtaniyasis of all WVA member missions. In Vrindavan, the temples simply have an employee bang on a gong during arati. Could it be that people introduced the loud metal sounds in kirtan to hide their poor singing?

It has been noticed especially in the West that people over the age of 30 usually walk away from the excessively loud kirtans. However, in a sweet, melodious kirtan the opposite happens; more people come to listen intently. Please offer your comments on this topic, and let the devotees feel encouraged to return to the tradition of sweet kirtans.

Comments (11) >>

Radhe Syam das Vrindavan said:

I have heard a Kirtan of some bengali Vaishnavas which did not belong to the Gaudiya Math. They were playing in the Mahaprabhu amiya nimai temple in Gopinath Bazaar. They also had jajas but only use them to sound them in the intervals between the different mantras. It is ridiculous to hear some devotees play this metal devices so hard that the bystander could not even figure out what song they are singing, what to speak of feeling enthusiasm to join the sankirtan. Everything has its appropiate application but gets easily carried away. Bells to call for the artik are wonderful but not while the singing is going on.

It would be wonderful if the devotees make the Kirtan so sweet and accessible for the people they like to attract.

Even in Chaitanya Caritamrita there are instructions to have at least six kartals playing before an additional mridanga should be played. The right balance of sounds between kartals, mridanga, singing etc is very important. Just like the rythm. If every player beats a different rythm the Kirtan or Bhajan looses its flow and hinders the absorbtion in the holy name. That is the reason even amongst Mahaprabhus followers the most expert became the kirtan leaders and from the newcomers or less expert musicians it is expected that they follow humbly and try to become good in their musical participation.

Sweet Bhajans and Kirtans ki jay. That is my opinion

October 31, 2006

Bhajanamrita das Bogota said:

It is with delight I see that also others cannot tolerate the deafening sound of some "kirtans". I have to go away when such kirtan starts. And this has always pained me. Or I also tried earplugs. But they make you feel strange as well. In South America in the Vrinda mission we have no gongs or jajas to avoid this problem.

October 31, 2006

Gopal das said:

Kirtan is meant for Krishnas enjoyment, not for our's, so depending on the mood of the kirtan, why should there be a problem if it becomes somewhat loud? Kirtan is not for attracting people, but for attracting Krishna. Who would dare to decide which kirtan is attractive for Krishna and which is not?

November 09, 2006

Shyamsundar das said:

"Who would dare to decide which kirtan is attractive for Krishna and which not?"

A servant of Krishna, somebody who cares for spiritual harmony and Krishna's ears, would dare to do such a thing. Besides, there is no problem if the kirtan gets somewhat loud as long as the instruments accompany the singing, not that the kirtan is taken over by the instruments so that the singing cannot be heard anymore. And amplifying the voice should not be the solution to this problem. Actually microphones and amplifiers only increase this problem because instruments are played louder and the original kirtan harmony is destroyed. I disagree that the kirtan should only be pleasing to Krishna, Mahaprabhu came to distribute the Holy Name of Krishna to the whole world, and if the kirtan is not attractive to the jivas then it is not serving the purpose of Mahaprabhu. A transcendental kirtan should be sweet, pleasing to Krishna, pleasing to the devotees, pleasing to the fallen jivas.

November 09, 2006

Gopal das said:

"A servant of Krishna, somebody who cares for spiritual harmony and Krishna's ears, would dare to do such a thing"

Ah, Krishna's ears need filtered things, so hopefully bhakti is not filtered too!

November 14, 2006

tarunkrishna said:

I heard that Sri Swarup Damodar was "filtering" which literature was bona-fide and which not, so that Mahaprabhu would not be disturbed reading something which is rasabhas or philosophically incorrect.

November 14, 2006

Tamoharadasa (ACBSP) said:

Please accept my humble obeisances at the feet of the Vasinavas. I joined Iskcon at age 17 in 1973, and hold degrees in Audiology, the Western science of hearing.

We early servants of Iskcon specialized in street kirtanas, as well as dancing and jumping temple programs, and the result is the world wide proliferation of the maha mantra. Gauraharibolo! The rasa is thus one of extreme gladness at conquering the world for Srila Prabhupada, mixed with seperatiopn from the person of our heart's desire. You can just imagine the level of enthusiasm and ecstasy that is required and is generated by such service! Our kirtanas can thus be very enthusiastic and blissful! We dance and chant in ecstasy as we conquer Maya, like Krsna's army.

November 18, 2006

Tamoharadasa (ACBSP) said:

As an audiologist by profession, I know that the high frequency sounds of the clashing karatalas and mrdanga "boom" can reach high levels. The result, for many, is some degree of noise-exposure hearing loss over the years. Those who are concerned about conserving their hearing would do well to consider the use of specialized ear plugs that will not distort the sound, merely make it quieter, or may prefer a quieter kirtana mode. There are many moods in which kirtana can be performed. However, don't be surprised if some of us are more interested in the power and joy of the world-wide kirtana and unconcerned about the deterioration of the material body. All glories to the sankirtana movement!

November 18, 2006

Tamoharadasa (ACBSP) said:

I recall one such kirtana led by Gour Govinda Swami Maharajah Thakura and the New York sankirtana kirtaniyas at Remuna, Orissa, 1978, at the temple of Gopinatha. We had three mrdanga players, and assorted karatalas. As our party approched through the outer courtyards and deeper into the temple sanctum, the level and enthusiasm increased. By time we were in front of Sri Gopinathaji, devotees were crying and bouncing off the walls, the kirtana exploding like shards of spent karma to be replaced by eternal devotion to Sri Krsna. The locals pujaris had never heard such kirtana! They were totally overwhelmed in ecstasy. No one was left unaffected by the powerful Iskcon kirtana.

So let there be all sorts of kirtana! Jaya!

Tamoharadasa (ACBSP), MS, Aud.(C)

Anyone wishing to discuss hearing loss or related issues is welcome to contact me at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

November 18, 2006

WVA correspondent in Miami said:

Dear Vaishnavas, regarding the heavy noise produced by metal clashing during kirtan, I never meant to question the devotional validity of ecstatic loud performance of kirtan. Actually we are talking about different topics here. There are no hard and fast rules how the holy names of the Lord can be chanted, this was proclaimed by Mahaprabhu himself. Nevertheless things do get easily out of hand. Time, place and circumstances. It is noticeable that elder people will hardly ever stay around a wild kirtan while in a sweet one they will listen and join in. Young peoples exuberance and their wild contemporary music scene produce an inclination to go into the enthusiasm of producing indistinguishable sounds with wild dancing etc. That is also beautiful specially when conducted in open air but Srila Prabhupada's kirtans in the Haight Ashbury time were rather meditative and calm but did capture so many of us.

I noticed that often the excess of sound is rather connected with someone making a show of exercise capacity like jumping up with the feet to the walls etc. but the essence of my appeal was not to critizise any kirtan or dancing styles. It is the harmful sound produced by clashing metals of yajas and gongs going on a prolonged time and over-covering the rest of the singing to a degree that you cannot even tell what song they are singing.

December 17, 2006

WVA correspondent in Miami said:

After checking personally with seniour Vaishnavas I also discovered that they feel pain from these sounds. Not strange these harsh excessive decibels do harm the ear and hearing capacity.

I myself have to leave such kirtans due to the uncomfort created in me when these decibel levels are approached.

Yes, I could just shut up and put big earplugs into my ears, but I chose to raise the question whether we did not get carried away from the true tradition of sweet kirtan and that a constructive discussion of this topic may be very helpful.

December 17, 2006

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