The Morning Program Songbook

Hare Krishna is a devotional music tradition centered on congregational chanting (kīrtan) and hymn singing (bhajan) from the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava lineage founded by Śrī Caitanya in 16th‑century Bengal. At its core is call‑and‑response singing of the mahā‑mantra (the "Hare Krishna" mantra) accompanied by hand cymbals (karatāls), double‑headed drum (mṛdaṅga), and often harmonium. Melodies typically draw on rāga‑like modal patterns, with cyclic tāla (rhythmic cycles) such as kahervā (8 beats), bhajani (8), or tintāl (16), and tempos that gradually accelerate to collective ecstasy. Lyrics invoke names and qualities of Rādhā and Krishna in Sanskrit and Bengali; performances can be intimate bhajans or long, high‑energy street/processional kīrtans. In the late 1960s the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) globalized the form, weaving traditional instrumentation with guitars, bass, and later electronic textures. Today "Hare Krishna" encompasses temple liturgy, public sankīrtana, and a wide range of studio and stage interpretations that keep the mantra and participatory spirit at the center.