What Are Bhajans?
Bhajans are spiritual songs that have been sung for centuries in the Indian tradition. They express love, devotion, and gratitude to life itself.
The word Bhajan comes from the Sanskrit root bhaj, which means to share, to worship, to serve, or to love. Bhajans are therefore much more than songs – they are an act of devotion, a way to open the heart and uplift the mind.
The Practice of Singing Bhajans
Call & Response
Bhajans are usually sung in a call-and-response form: a lead singer sings a line, and the participants repeat it. This makes it easy to participate, even without any prior musical experience and creates a collective, uplifting vibration.
Simplicity over Perfection
The focus is not on musical perfection but on devotion. Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi) says:
“When singing bhajans, we should not think about how our voice sounds. We should sing to express our love for God.”
Open to Everyone
Anyone can join in singing bhajans – or simply listen and enjoy the uplifting atmosphere.
Variety of Languages
Traditionally, bhajans are sung in Indian languages such as Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil, or Malayalam. However, in order that people from all over the world can understand the words and connect more deeply with the songs, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese or Arabic bhajans are also sung.
The Effects of Bhajans
On Body, Mind, and Soul
Singing brings relaxation, releases inner tension, and bestows deep peace.
Transformation of Emotions
Joy, pain, or worries can be expressed while singing. Instead of suppressing emotions, they are transformed through devotion into peace and inner stillness.
Focus of the Mind
The restless mind finds calmness and concentration through melody, rhythm, and the meaning of the words.
Healing Vibrations
Bhajans generate an atmosphere of purity and love, positively influencing not only ourselves but also the environment.
Community and Energy
When many people sing together, a powerful energy field of joy, unity, and purity is created.
“When we sing bhajans, we let go of the ego and enter into a vibration of love.”
Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi)
