SINGING OUR SOULS AWAKE

A new trend is reportedly rocking young India called ‘bhajan clubbing’, in which Gen Z gathers in various spaces for sessions of singing and dancing to remixed devotional songs.

- RENUKA NARAYANAN

Chai and buttermilk are to hand, not the liquor served in Western-style pubs and clubs. There are diyas, candles, incense sticks, and flowers to create a pleasant atmosphere. The young dress up, or don’t, depending on the occasion, clap along, and sing to guitars and drums. The music is modern, but the words are old, including mahamantras like ‘Hare Rama, Hare Rama’.

If we look, we'll see that this movement was growing organically, with important contributions to the ‘vibe’ from singers like Shankar Mahadevan, Kailash Kher, Jubin Nautiyal, and a score more. The happy-clappy satsang and naamkirtan culture already in place was made more modern. The electric atmosphere during festivals like Navratri, Mahashivratri, and Janmashtami at temples, garba grounds, and in popular ashrams also fostered this development. Purists may cavil, but doesn’t it sound perfectly natural for a singing, dancing nation? The young have found their own, blessedly free expression of belief, blending fun and faith.