kirtana (;
Kannada: ಕೀರ್ತನೆ; ; ;
Hindi: कीर्तन;
Telugu: కీర్తన;
Tamil: கீர்த்தனை;
Sanskrit (
IAST): kīrtana;
Sanskrit for "praise; eulogy"; also
sankirtana) is
call-and-response chanting performed in India's
bhakti devotional traditions. A person performing kirtana is known as a
kirtankara or, colloquially, a "kirtaneera". Kirtana practice involves chanting hymns or
mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the
harmonium,
tablas, the two-headed
mrdanga or
pakhawaj drum and hand cymbals (
karatalas). It is a major practice in
Vaisnava devotionalism,
Sikhism, the
Sant traditions and some forms of
Buddhism, as well as other religious groups.
Kirtana is sometimes accompanied by story-telling and acting. Texts typically cover religious, mythological or social subjects.