Introduction of Kirtan

 In India, people have been singing about Rama, Krishna, Govinda etc in their local languages or in Sanskrit for millennium.

In the early 1500's, kirtan was introduced by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as the recommended spiritual path for the present age. Up until that time mantras were chanted to a meter at Vedic ceremonies, but the particular stressing of the importance of combining mantras with music as the most recommended spiritual discipline for our current times, is due to Chaitanya

  Chanitanya Mahaprabhu

He promoted singing mantras with Indian musical instruments, particularly the khola (mridanga drum) and karatals (brass hand cymbals). Initially there was some resistance from caste brahmanas, the established priestly class. But Chaitanya from the age of 15,he had already defeated in debate the greatest Pandit ('pundit' - scholar) and he was already known as the most erudite and knowledgeable person of his era. He explained on many different levels the benefits of chanting kirtan. Around the world, kirtan was first introduced by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada -the founder of ISKCON - from 1965

Kirtan is a Sanskrit word.The meaning of Kirtan is 'to chant', or it refers to 'the process of chanting', and it includes a sense of 'repeating', 'describing', and 'glorifying'. Specifically, it refers to the glorification of the Supreme. The readers will doubtlessly be familiar with other Sanskrit words such as yoga, Avatar, mantra, guru, and karma which are in use worldwide. In the coming years, we can expect 'kirtan' will become another word that will be more familiar in general usage.

Kirtan and the relation between Hinduism

Is Kirtan a 'Hindu' practise? Well, what is a Hindu? The term has only been in use for less than a thousand years and began more as a geographical term rather than referring to a religious system. The invading Arabs referred to the peoples beyond the Sindhu river as being Hindus. The spiritual texts of ancient India themselves refer to the concept of Sanatana Dharma. This term refers to the eternal constitutional position or duty of the spiritual being.

The essential point is that kirtan is a non-sectarian practice and it does not matter what faith group, or none, one associates oneself with, or is born into.

It is common to designate people according to groups so we can put them 'into a box': he's a Nigerian, an aborigine, she's a traveller, they're Jews, he's a Hare Krishna. Sometimes there may be a motivation that in conversation with others we can group ourselves into a 'better' group or designation (I'm Irish, I'm from Dublin, I'm from Castleknock!). In this way the world will realise that I'm rich, happy, aristocratic, and above these lower persons. In Vedic philosophy, this is all seen as coming from ahankara, or false ego. Subtly (very subtly) Vedic philosophy sees these thought processes or ideas as a desire for the finite living being to usurp the position of the Supreme Being. But we can never do so!

In conclusion, kirtan should never be viewed as a sectarian practice.