Hinduism — Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Dedicated to Sri Krishna and Sri Rama, through the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra
A 500-year-old tradition of singing the divine names together — where one voice leads and every heart follows. Open to all. No preparation needed.
Book for your occasion
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण, कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे
हरे राम हरे राम, राम राम हरे हरे
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare
What people say after their first kirtan
I felt as if a weight I had been carrying for years was suddenly lifted.
Joyful and calm at the same time — I had never felt both together like that.
I didn't know the words. I still couldn't stop singing.
All my worries simply disappeared. What remained was peace.
I finally found what I had been searching for.
Hare Krishna Kirtan is the congregational singing of the Maha Mantra — considered in the Vedic tradition to be the most powerful mantra for this age. The word kirtan means to glorify the Divine through song. The Maha Mantra is the song.
It is practised as call-and-response. The lead artist sings a line. The gathering sings it back. This exchange — between one voice and many — creates something that neither could create alone.
You do not need to be religious to participate. You do not need the right pronunciation or any preparation. The tradition holds that the names themselves carry the power, and all you need to do is receive them sincerely.
In the Gaudiya Vaishnava understanding, the Divine name is not merely a word pointing to God — it is God himself in sound form. Chanting the Maha Mantra is therefore direct communion with Krishna, capable of cleansing the heart, dissolving the ego, and awakening the soul's deepest longing. Srila Prabhupada taught that in this age — Kali Yuga — sankirtan, the congregational chanting of God's names, is the most accessible and powerful spiritual practice available to every human being, regardless of background or belief.
Hare Krishna Kirtan is defined by the exclusive, repeated chanting of the Maha Mantra in call-and-response — no varied lyrics, no mixed compositions. Its energy typically moves from slow and meditative to joyfully ecstatic, with the mridanga and kartal carrying devotees deeper as the kirtan builds.
What to expect
A Hare Krishna Kirtan begins gently. The artist opens with a slow melody on the harmonium, setting a mood of quiet devotion. The mridanga joins softly. The mantra is introduced line by line.
As the gathering begins to respond, something in the room starts to shift. The tempo builds gradually — naturally, the way a river finds its pace. At the peak, voices are fuller, hands are moving, and the separation between those who came to listen and those who came to sing has quietly dissolved.
Then the kirtan slows. It settles. It ends in stillness.
Most first-timers say the same thing afterwards: they are surprised by how natural it felt, and how different the room feels from when they first walked in.
Fully participatory — devotees repeat the mantra after the lead chanter, clap, and often dance in ecstatic joy. There is no observer role in this tradition. Even a newcomer is invited simply to listen and let the sound do its work.
Temple sessions typically run 30–90 minutes. Festival kirtans can continue for several hours; special kirtan marathons may go through the night.
Occasions
The Music
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu teaches that congregational chanting of the divine names is the most direct spiritual practice available to ordinary people — not just scholars or priests, but everyone.
Srila Prabhupada carries this tradition from India to New York and founds ISKCON. Today the Maha Mantra is sung in over 100 countries.
ISKCON Chowpatty's annual New Year Eve kirtan fills to capacity every year. Midnight arrives with the Maha Mantra. Those who attend describe it as the most meaningful New Year they have ever had.
A neurologist at Henry Ford Hospital found his brainwaves showed near-complete stillness after chanting — a level of quiet he described as unheard of without medication.
A 2025 study of 291 regular chanters found consistent positive associations between the practice and happiness, peace of mind, and emotional resilience.
Regular chanting is associated with reduced cortisol, increased serotonin and oxytocin, and activation of the body's parasympathetic — rest and recovery — response.
The ancient texts described these effects centuries ago. Science is now arriving at the same place.
"At a concert, you watch.
At a kirtan, something in you wakes up."
Key terms
The sixteen-name mantra — Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare — considered the great mantra for spiritual liberation in this age
Congregational chanting of the Divine names; the recommended spiritual practice of Kali Yuga according to the Chaitanya tradition
Taking the Lord's names into the world through street kirtan — making the Maha Mantra freely available to all
The lead chanter who holds the melody, builds the energy, and carries the gathering deeper into the mantra
The barrel-shaped clay drum that anchors the rhythmic heartbeat of Gaudiya kirtan
Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who brought Hare Krishna kirtan to the West and founded ISKCON in 1966
FAQ
Share a little about your occasion — the date, the gathering, what you have in mind — and we will connect you with the right artist.
