Today’s tip
Keep a power point near the artists
Microphones, speakers and keyboards need power. Set the artists’ space near a socket and keep an extension board ready, so nobody runs wires across the sangat.
Kirtan tips
A host’s handbook: small, practical things that make a kirtan go well, whether you are hosting one at home or joining as a guest.
45 tips, with a new one on our homepage every day. For longer reads, see our kirtan guides.
Hosting a kirtan at home
Hosting a kirtan is seva. These are the small things that let your guests and the artists settle in.
Seat everyone at the same level
Most kirtans happen with everyone sitting on the floor. Spread durries or clean white sheets, and keep a few chairs at the back for elders who can’t sit down for long.
Ask how many musicians are coming
A kirtan group can be one singer or five musicians with harmonium, tabla and cymbals. Ask in advance so you can plan the space, seating and food for them.
Keep a power point near the artists
Microphones, speakers and keyboards need power. Set the artists’ space near a socket and keep an extension board ready, so nobody runs wires across the sangat.
Warm water for the singers
Singers lose their voice to cold drinks and air-conditioning drafts. Keep warm water within reach of the artists and avoid pointing the AC straight at them.
Start at the time you announced
Guests who come on time set the mood for the evening. Begin with whoever is present; latecomers settle in quietly once the singing has started.
A gentle word about phones
Before the kirtan begins, ask everyone to put phones on silent. One ringing phone can break the stillness of a whole gathering.
Ask before recording the artists
Most artists are happy for families to record a little for memories, but ask first. Some prefer not to have full sets shared online.
Plan how prasad will be served
Decide in advance who will distribute prasad and where. Serving it after the closing aarti or ardas, row by row, keeps the end of the kirtan calm.
Keep the meal after the kirtan
Guests stay more present when food comes after the kirtan, not during it. Let the kitchen know the planned end time so the meal is ready when the singing closes.
Agree the details in writing
Confirm the date, start time, duration, number of musicians, travel and the offering for the artists in one message. It avoids awkward conversations on the day.
Check local rules on loudspeakers
Many areas restrict loudspeakers late at night. For evening or all-night programmes, check the local rules and tell your neighbours; inviting them is even better.
Give the children something to play
Hand the children manjira or small cymbals and seat them near the artists. Kirtan is often where a child first falls in love with devotional music.
Soft light, not darkness
Warm, soft lighting helps a kirtan feel peaceful, but the artists still need to read lyrics. Keep a lamp or light on near them.
Joining a kirtan as a guest
What to do when you walk into someone else’s kirtan, at a home, a temple or a gurdwara.
You don’t need to know the words
Most kirtans are call and response: the lead singer sings a line, and everyone repeats it. Listen to the first round and simply join in.
Arriving late? Sit at the back
If the kirtan has already begun, enter quietly, bow if you wish, and sit near the back. Wait for a pause between bhajans before greeting anyone.
Clap with the rhythm, not over it
In joyful kirtans, clapping along is welcome. Follow the beat of the tabla or dholak so your claps add to the music instead of covering it.
Mind where your feet point
In most traditions it is respectful not to point your feet towards the altar, the scripture or the singers. Sit cross-legged or tuck your feet to one side.
Shoes stay outside
Shoes are removed before entering the space where kirtan is held, at a gurdwara, a temple or a family’s home. Look for where the family has kept a shoe rack.
An offering is welcome, never required
Many guests offer flowers, fruit or a small donation at the altar. It is a gesture of love; nobody is expected to bring anything.
Shabad Kirtan and Sikh gatherings
Customs observed at Shabad Kirtan and in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib.
Cover your head in the presence of the Guru
Wherever Shabad Kirtan is sung in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, everyone covers their head. Keep a few clean scarves (rumals) near the entrance for guests.
Bringing Guru Granth Sahib home?
Hosting Guru Granth Sahib at home follows its own maryada: a clean raised place, a canopy and a granthi to attend. Speak with your local gurdwara well before the day.
Shabad Kirtan is for listening
The ragis sing each shabad in a raag, and the sangat listens, softly repeating familiar lines. You don’t need to perform anything: being present is enough.
No tobacco or alcohol
Tobacco and alcohol are not brought anywhere near a Shabad Kirtan or Guru Granth Sahib. If you are hosting, make sure the whole venue respects this.
Langar is served with everyone seated together
Langar after kirtan is traditionally served with the sangat sitting together in rows, everyone eating the same simple vegetarian food.
The sangat stands for Ardas
When the Ardas begins, everyone stands with folded hands, facing Guru Granth Sahib, and joins in with “Waheguru” at the responses.
Mata ki Chowki and Jagran
Mata ki Chowki, Jagran and Mata ki Bhente: evenings and nights for the Goddess.
Keep a chunari ready for Mata
At a Mata ki Chowki, families often offer a red chunari to the Goddess. Keep it, along with flowers and prasad, near the altar before the singing begins.
Join in the “Jai Mata Di”
Calls of “Jai Mata Di” rise through a Mata ki Bhente. Join in with full voice: this kirtan is a celebration, not a recital.
A Jagran lasts all night
A Jagran usually runs from around 9 or 10 pm until the dawn aarti. Plan tea and snacks for the night, and a quiet room where elders can rest.
Chowki or Jagran?
A Mata ki Chowki is an evening programme of 2 to 4 hours; a Jagran goes through the night. Choose by your guests, your space and your neighbours.
Kirtan for life’s occasions
Weddings, new homes, birthdays and prayer meetings: fitting kirtan to the occasion.
Fit the kirtan around the griha pravesh muhurat
The pandit fixes the puja muhurat; plan the kirtan before or after it, not on top of it. Share the muhurat time with the artist when you book.
At weddings, kirtan needs its own time
Give the kirtan its own slot, before the mehendi or on the morning of the wedding, rather than squeezing it between other functions. Guests can then truly sit and listen.
At an Anand Karaj, the laavan are sung
During the Sikh wedding, the ragis sing the four laavan as the couple walks around Guru Granth Sahib. The gurdwara or your granthi will guide the order of the ceremony.
At a prayer meeting, keep it gentle
For an antim ardas or prayer meeting, ask the artists for quiet, consoling shabads or bhajans. Families often also choose a few the departed person loved.
Dress simply for a prayer meeting
At an antim ardas or prayer meeting, guests usually wear white or light, simple clothes. It is a time for quiet presence, not conversation.
A kirtan for a birthday or anniversary
Many families mark a birthday or anniversary with a short Bhajan Sandhya at home. An hour to an hour and a half is often just right.
Planning a kirtan?
Tell us the occasion, the date and the city, and we’ll suggest the right artist. Or start with a planning checklist.
Plan your kirtan