Rituals of Ashtaprahar & Beyond:
Devotion, Decoration, Performance, and Kirtan
Subrata Barman
Ph.D.
Scholar
Department
of English
Cooch
Behar Panchanan Barma University
Cooch
Behar
Abstract:
Ashtaprahar,
also known as Ashtaprahari, is
a Hindu devotional observance dedicated to Lord Krishna or Lord Vishnu, during
which devotees engage in continuous kirtan — devotional singing — for eight
praharas (time divisions), maintaining an unbroken flow of worship throughout
the ritual. Several types of Kirtanare
seen during this ritual, like Nama
Kirtan, Padavali Kirtan, Nagar
Kirtan, etc. Kirtan, which is a Sanskrit word meaning narrating,
reciting, or telling a story, is a musical conversation or a call-and-response
chanting. It is a genre of religious performance that evolved during India’s
“Bhakti movement.” Kirtan, as a
theatrical folk song, challenges the dominant and restrictive paradigm of
performance, dismissing the border between performer and audience (devotees).
In Kirtan, the performer and
audience both engage in active participation. Ashtaprahar is mainly performed in West Bengal and Odisha, two
eastern states of India. In West Bengal, Ashtaprahar
is celebrated in houses by local people, on open fields organised by local
clubs, and in the temples arranged by temple authorities. The place of the
ceremony is decorated in a special way, and some pujas like Jal Puja (Water worshipping), Arati (Idol worshipping), Ganga Nimantran (Invitation to the
river Ganga), Surya Puja
(worshipping the Sun), etc., are done during the Ashtaprahar ceremony. The focus of the research is to look at
the rituals of Ashtaprahar
celebrated in West Bengal, the types of Kirtan
engaged in it, and the performative and decorative aspects of the ritual.
Keywords: Ashtaprahar,
Kirtan, Hindu Rituals, Performance,
Decoration
“Indian
custom and rituals not only add value to life
But
also they are essential tools to connect to the Self.”
-Ratna
Samanta (forward),
Wellness
in Indian Festivals & Rituals
Introduction:
Ashtaprahar,
also known as Ashtaprahari, is a Hindu devotional observance dedicated
to Lord Krishna or Lord Vishnu, during which devotees engage in continuous
kirtan—devotional singing—for eight praharas (time divisions), maintaining an
unbroken flow of worship throughout the ritual. Several types of Kirtan
are seen during this ritual, like Nama Kirtan, Padavali Kirtan, Nagar
Kirtan, etc. Kirtan, a Sanskrit word meaning telling, reciting, or
narrating a story. It is a musical conversation or a call-and-response
incantation, a genre of spiritual performance that evolved through India’s
Bhakti Movement. “Devotion and emotion are the main ingredients of Kirtan”
(Dutta 114).Kirtan, as a theatrical folk song, challenges the dominant
and restrictive paradigm of performance, dismissing the border between
performer and audience (devotees). In Kirtan, the performer and audience
both engage in active participation. Ashtaprahar is immensely performed
mainly in West Bengal and Odisha, two eastern states of India. In West Bengal, Ashtaprahar
is celebrated in houses by local people, on open fields organised by local
clubs, and in the temples arranged by temple authorities.
There is an old Bengali proverb in West Bengal, an
eastern Indian state, that “Baro Mashe Tero Parvan,” which means “there are
thirteen festivals in twelve months” (Senapaty 98). It implies the richness of
culture and devotion of the people of West Bengal. West Bengal is a place of
celebrations, traditions, devotional, and cultural celebrations, celebrated
throughout the year. Some celebrations are for harvest like Makarsankranti,
Nabanna, etc., whereas some are traditional like Holi, Deepavali,
Dol-Purnima, Akshay Tritiya, etc. There are divine celebrations
like Lakshmi puja, Saraswati puja, Ganesa puja, Durga
puja, etc., while there are some worshipping celebrations celebrated equally;
among which Ashtaprahar is the one, more ancient and more devotional. Kirtan
is the key component in Ashtaprahar.
Kirtan is “the congregational chanting of God’s
holy names” (Senapaty 98), especially in the devotion of Lord Krishna or
Vishnu. Kirtan, introduced to Bhakti Yoga by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
remains a cherished daily practice for many in regions like Bengal, Odisha,
Bihar, and several other parts of India. Kirtan has been acclaimed
internationally as it is spread by the hands of ISKCON, founded by A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Traditionally, Kirtan is sung in a group
along with mridanga, cymbals, clapping, and harmonium. Tears rolling
down the cheeks of both the singer and audience are the characteristic of
Bengali kirtan. Kirtan, a song in praise, is “a spiritual
practice that opens the devotees or the performers to the highest state of his
being with singing as a medium” (Senapaty 99). Bengal is home to various forms
of Kirtan, such as Pala-Kirtan, Lila-Kirtan, Padavali-Kirtan, Nama-Sankirtan,
and others.
Nama-Sankirtan refers to the melodic chanting of
the names of various deities. They are usually chanted in the evening, after
puja (“Bhorai Kirtan”). Nama-sankirtan is typically humming the Lord’s
name:“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare
Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.”Parvati Kirtan is a distinct form of
Nama-Kirtan that is traditionally sung in prabhata-pheri or during a
morning walk. The Vaishnavas of Bengal regard Sri Chaitanya as an embodiment of
the Lord, and thus, they often sing devotional songs in his praise as “Sri
Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda, Hare Krishna Hare Rama Sri Radhe Govinda,”
or “Nitai Gour Radhe Shyam, Hare Krishna Hare Rama.”Devotion to Lord Krishna
and singing aloud God’s holy names lets the devotees forget the existence of
the external world and focus only on the inner Self. This is called Avesha.
The key objective of Nama-sankirtan is “to attain Prema and the
main aim of Vaishnava cult is to generate this Prema” (“Bhorai Kirtan”).
Another kind of kirtan, famous in Bengal, is
called Pala-kirtan;“the most ancient form in Bengal.”Composed in
rhythmic verse, these kirtans primarily recount the life of Lord Krishna. They
are believed to have been written in the 16th century by poets such as
Ramprasad, Chandidas, and Vidyapati. Pala-Kirtan is typically structured into
segments like Balakanda, Yasoda-Gopal, Rasa Lila, and Gopiviraha.
On special occasions, Vaishnavas perform these kirtans in chorus, accompanied
by traditional instruments such as the khol, cymbals, and harmonium (“Bhorai
Kirtan”).
A Vaishnava is one who is devoted to Vishnu or Krishna.
They consider Vishnu, Krishna or Rama as avatars of the same deity, “from whom
all worlds emanate, by whom they are sustained, and into whom they will
dissolve at the end” (Lutjeharms 272). What deeply moves most Vaishnavas is not
the unmatched glory or power of God, but the limitless love and mercy He shows
to His devotees. ‘Bhakti’ is the key aspect of Vaishnava practice. ‘Bhakti’ is
a Sanskrit term, translated as devotion and love. Some scholars have also
translated it as “participation.” Bhakti suggests “a mental state with which
one worships God” (Lutjeharms 273). It is believed by Vaishnavas that ritual
worship without ‘Bhakti’ is futile.
Bhakti is not that which accompanies the act, or even that
Which makes the act matter, but the very act itself.
(Lutjeharms 274)
Bhakti thus signifies
both action and emotion. For a Vaishnava, worship is offered with deep
reverence, love, and devotion, where the very act of worship becomes a
heartfelt expression of that love.
Vaishnavas do not regard the deity they worship as merely
symbolic or representative of God; instead, they believe the image to be
identical with the Divine. Daily acts of service and devotion cultivate a deep,
personal bond between the Lord and His devotees, who may relate to Him as their
master, friend, child, or even beloved. Vaishnavas therefore not only offer
ritual worship (puja) but also bathe him, dress him, and ornament him;
even offer him food, allow him rest and so on. Before the puja, the idol is
bathed daily and fully sanctified with the mantras by a priest and thereby, the
image is “transformed from inert matter into God’s divine and fully conscious
body” (Lutjeharms 291).
Ashtaprahar is a spiritual celebration of chanting
God’s names uninterruptedly for eight praharas by a group of devotees
without pause. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
of Navdweep, a spiritual leader, has formulated this method of rejoicing in God’s
name through Kirtan. The commencement of the Ashtaprahar ritual
starts days before the actual puja begins. The Puja authorities or committee
distribute some empty clay pots (Kalash) to local houses and invite housewives
to attend the Adhibasaor inauguration ceremony, where every woman goes
to a nearby river to fill the kalash with river water. The Kalash
is filled with whole grains of rice by the housewives, and it is taken to the
place of Ashtaprahar, before going to the river, as a contribution to
the ceremony. When the kalash is filled with rice, it is called purna-kalash.
“The kalash or pot plays a significant role” in most Hindu rituals and pujas
(Singh 85).A Kalash is believe as auspicious due to “The Hindu triad –
Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh – reside in it along with consorts – Saraswati,
Lakshmi, and Durga” (Bhalla 251). Even According to ancient lore, the divine
nectar known as amrit was discovered in a kalash during the
cosmic churning of the ocean. It is also believed that Goddess Sita emerged
from a kalash as a blessing from Mother Earth. In many traditional
temples, one often finds depictions of Goddess Lakshmi seated gracefully on a
lotus, flanked by two elephants who anoint her with water poured from kalashas
held delicately in their trunks (Bhalla 251).The pots selected for Ashtaprahar,
to carry river water, are tied with red or white cotton and the pot is
decorated with propitious symbols and designs.
Ashtaprahar begins the next day, after carrying
the river-water-filled clay pots in the puja mandap. The pots are placed
there before the idols, surrounding the puja stage. The kalash, filled with
water, represents the cosmic waters from which Lord Brahma and all of creation
emerged. A coconut is placed on top of the pot, symbolising the devotee’s head,
while mango leaves are arranged around it to draw in spiritual energy from
higher realms, bringing blessings to those present. Because of its deep
symbolism, the kalash is regarded as sacred and is worshipped during rituals.
In the process, the energies of the seven holy rivers and various deities,
together with Lord Vishnu, are invoked. After the ceremony, the water from the
kalash is used in various sacred rites, especially the abhisheka, or
ritual bathing of the deity (Singh 85).
Before the auspicious beginning of the celebration, the
courtyard ahead of the house or puja mandap, where the occasion would
take place, is cleaned and decorated. The roof of the area is temporarily
covered using long bamboo poles, coconut leaves, branches, and cloth to shield
against dust, heat, and sunlight. Sacred cow-dung water is used to mop the yard
of the place. For decoration, coloured papers, cloths, and powdered colours are
used. The poles of the mandapare decorated with coloured paper or
clothes, and various designed lights are used to enhance the attractiveness of
the place.
A stage is made at the centre of the courtyard of the mandap,
for the Gods’ pictures to be staged. A red shamiana cloth is draped over the
center stage, serving as its temporary roof. The stage is made like a pyramid
by placing stools covered with white cloth or papers. Various big framed
photographs of various Gods- Krishna, Narayan, Nitai-Gour, Shiva, Chaitanya,
Jagannath, and Radha-Krishna are placed on all four sides of the stage. Then
the flower decorations begin by garlanding the photographs of each deity. After
that, the stage and mandap are adorned with a variety of flowers and floral garlands.
At the upper portion of the stage, the kirtan line- “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare” is written
on all the sides.
After the decoration is done, the celebration of the Ashtaprahar
begins, generally in the early morning, by a group of devotees. An expert
priest is invited, who stays from the very first day to the end, to conduct the
celebration. A local base group is invited to initiate the puja on the first
day, known as Adhibasa. On this day, the rituals begin either just after
midnight or in the early hours of the morning. On the day of Adhibasa, a
local Kirtaniya group is invited, where a mass of local people also
participate, to carry empty pitchers (Kalash) and walk to the nearest river to
fill the Kalash with riverwater, singing the Gods’ names. This ritual is
often called an invitation to the river Ganga, a holy River according to the
Hindu religion. The water-filled kalashes are placed at the centre stage
of asthaprahar. As the water is brought in, the priest performs rituals
and chants sacred verses. A clay lamp, fueled with ghee and a cotton wick, is
lit and placed inside a large earthen pot. The pot is covered with a perforated
earthen lid, allowing air to flow in and keep the flame burning steadily.
Lighting a lamp marks the beginning of all sacred rituals, ceremonies, and
pujas, “in the belief that the presence of Agni (fire) ensures success” (Bhalla
257). Across all faiths, light is universally regarded as a symbol of divine
presence and spiritual wisdom.
Ashtaprahar is usually inaugurated by a base group
of devotees with a welcome puja to welcome Lord Krishna to the centre stage. Kirtan,
a recitation of God’s sacred names in the form of rhythmic music, begins with a
chorus of devotees along with specific instruments like cymbals, tabor,
harmonium, etc., while circularly circumambulating around the centre stage. The
reason for circumambulating or performing pradakshina or parikrama
around an idol is that when we circumambulate around a deity, we receive divine
energy as “the idol constantly emanates energy in all directions” (Singh 109).
K.V. Singh further pointed out in the book Hindu Rites and Rituals: Origins
and Meanings:
When we go around the image, we
receive that exalted power
In all directions and thus rejuvenate
ourselves to face
The challenges of life. (Singh 109-110)
The
Ashtaprahar is a practice of assembling at the place of worship by the
devotees to take part in the kirtan, a repetitive chant of calling God’s
holy names. Repetition of names in the Kirtan is done with melodious
tunes by the group. The group leader begins the kirtan by singing one
line, and the entire group follows, repeating the same in rhythm. It is done
with utmost devotion and full of emotions. Everyone from the locality freely
joins the chorus of repetitive chanting of God’s names. At least four or five
dedicated groups of Kirtaniyas are invited from various distant places
for the occasion. These groups arrive in turns, with each new group joining in
chorus alongside the previous one while moving in a circular procession. As one
group pauses to rest, the next seamlessly takes over, ensuring the continuous
and unbroken rhythm of chanting the divine names. In this way, the sacred sound
of kirtan flows without interruption throughout the event.
Every
evening, during the Ashtaprahar ceremony, Sandha Arati (evening
worship) takes place by a priest. Arati is performed with the sound of ringing
bells, the rhythm of musical instruments, devotional singing, and clapping
hands, creating a spiritually charged atmosphere. A ghee lamp and camphor are
traditionally used in offering arati to the deity. The burning of camphor,
which leaves no residue, symbolises “complete decimation of one’s ego or self”
(Singh). During an arati, the divine energy around the deity is believed to
expand through the heat and light, allowing all those present to absorb its
spiritual vibrations. This is why attending an arati is considered highly
beneficial, as “the atmosphere in the temple is especially charged with
enhanced positivity and one receives divine vibrations or blessings even
without asking” (Singh). After the arati, there is a tradition of
scattering batasha (sugar candies) by the devotees to the audience
sitting encircling the stage. These batashas are considered as prasad
as they are scattered towards the audience after they are offered to the Gods.
The
next day, a special group of Kirtaniyas are invited for Padavali-Kirtan.
Padavali-kirtan, a perfect blend of melody, poetry, and dramatic
performance, is regarded as a prominent artistic achievement in the field of
Indian music and literature. It is a fine piece of literature called ‘Brajabuli’,
which has musical components. This form has evolved from the “padas” of Gita
Govinda, written by the eminent author Jayadeva, a 12th-century
Hindu poet, who is regarded as the father of padavali-kirtan. The
compositions of padavali are based on the themes of divine love,
sentiment, and romance (divine shringar) of Sri Krishna and Radha, known as
“Rasa Kirtan”, and the composition is called “Lila-kirtan”. Influenced by
Hindustani classical music, Padavali kirtan has its tala system, which
makes it different from other types of music in India. Padavali kirtan
is a rich devotional musical form that evolved in Bengal, and it is the unique variety
of Bengali music. After the evening of this day, Surya Puja (worshipping
the Sun-God) is done by the priest. It is believed that offering prayers to the
Sun God imparts well-being and prosperity, as it is because of the Sun that
life is possible on Earth.
Nagar Kirtanor Nagar Bhramana ceremony
takes place at the end day, which means singing devotional songs, when “Lord
Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nitai-Gouranga, Guru Radharamana, and Panca Tattwa
take a procession” in the locality approaching every house (Senapaty 99). A
group moves through the village paths, stopping to connect with members of each
household along the way singing and praising God’s presence among people accumulating
some offerings- money, fruits, vegetables, sweets etc. as gifts (Dakshina) as
per owners ‘comforts and options, which would be used in the grand prasad-ceremony
at the end. After collecting the dakshina, the group returned to the
place of Ashtaprahar in the afternoon.
The ceremony of Ahtaprahar concludes by reading
the sacred book of Ashtaprahari by the priest in rhythm while the
devotees listen attentively. A traditional earthen pot is then filled with a mixture
of curd water and turmeric paste, into which a cluster of mango leaves—known as
Pallav—is placed. The individual for whom the ceremony is performed is
respectfully anointed with sandalwood and turmeric paste on their forehead and
body. A cloth is wrapped around their head to form a turban, atop which the
earthen pot is balanced. As part of the ritual, the person walks in a circular
path around the altar, carrying the pot on their head. Supporting it with the
left hand, they use their right hand to dip the mango leaves into the pot and
sprinkle the sacred mixture onto the assembled devotees, symbolically purifying
them with the blessed droplets. Singing
the Gods’ sacred names along with instruments and the chorus of the public
continue by moving around the centre stage several times. This moment is
heart-touching when all the devotees and spectators weep and sob with tears
rolling down their eyes. This is out of the devotees’ extreme devotion to Lord
Krishna and for their heartfelt prayers and blessings to the person carrying
the sacred pot.
At the end of such sankirtan, the priest leads a
powerful crescendo of devotional chants and music, filling the atmosphere with
spiritual fervour. Moved by the rhythm and divine emotion, everyone joins in,
dancing with heartfelt devotion and remembrance of the Divine. At the climax,
an earthen pot is ceremonially smashed on the ground, releasing a mixture of
curd and turmeric water. Instantly, devotees roll on the sacred,
turmeric-soaked earth, allowing the blessed mixture to cover their bodies as an
act of surrender and sanctification. This tradition originated from the great
spiritual preceptor, Chaitanya Dev.At the end of Ashtaprahar, there is a
grand Prasad disbursement ceremony where the audience and mass locality
are fed a good vegetarian meal, especially khichuri (hotchpotch) and Labra
(mixed vegetable curry).
Ashtaprahar is a great tradition of devotional
singing and repeating God’s holy names. This tradition is still very popular in
most places of eastern India, like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and
the northeast states of India. Ashtaprahar is celebrated with deep
devotion and dignity in Jagannath temples, ISKCON temples, community places,
and even in households. It is also seen to be performed by people in their
houses for the well-being and prosperity of their families. It is a great
tradition to connect people through the devotional praise of Lord Krishna.
Through the utmost devotion and emotional catharsis by singing God’snames,
people find their true Selves within themselves.
Work
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