Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any of the languages from the Indian subcontinent
The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means reverence and originates from the root word bhaj (Sanskrit: भज्), which means to revere, as in ‘Bhaja Govindam’ (Revere Govinda)
The term bhajana also means sharing
The term ‘bhajan’ is also commonly used to refer a group event, with one or more lead singers, accompanied with music, and sometimes dancing
Minimally there is a percussion accompaniment such as tabla, dholak or a tambourine
Handheld small cymbals (kartals) are commonly used to maintain the beat, rhythm
A bhajan may be sung in a temple, in a home, under a tree in the open, near a river bank or a place of historic significance
As a bhajan has no prescribed form, or set rules, it is in free form, normally lyrical and based on melodic ragas
It belongs to a genre of music and arts that developed with the Bhakti movement
It is found in the various traditions of Hinduism as well as Jainism
Within Hinduism, it is particularly prevalent in Vaishnavism
Ideas from scriptures, legendary epics, the teachings of saints and loving devotion to a deity are the typical subjects of bhajans
South Indian bhakti pioneers, but bhajans have been widely composed anonymously and shared as a musical and arts tradition
Its genre such as Nirguni, Gorakhanathi, Vallabhapanthi, Ashtachhap, Madhura-bhakti and the traditional South Indian form Sampradya Bhajan each have their own repertoire and methods of singing