Bhajan Sangrah
Bhajan’s are simple songs sung in the praise of God. Music to human ears is heavenly. And if it's purely devotional, it's truly divine. Such a genre of music is the Bhajan.
Nothing can be more deeply rooted in the Indian tradition than bhajans. 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.
Bhajans owe their origin to the Bhakti Movement. The word bhajan is derived from bhaj which means ‘to serve’ in Sanskrit. Bhajan is a popular form of devotional singing prevalent in north India. It is usually sung in temples in praise of good or is addressed as a plea to him. The lyrics are set to simple melodies, generally in one or more ragas. Bhajans are usually sung in groups. There is a lead singer who sings the first line or stanza and is followed by the choir. The compositions are usually based on ShantRas. Sorties and episodes from the Ramayan and Mahabharat are popular themes for bhajans, as are the episodes from the lives of Lord Ram, Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva. Bhajan singing is usually accompanied by musical instruments like jhanj, manjira, daphli, dholak and chimta.
