Kristen Finlayson

All devoted Hindus give a lot of significance to religious Hindu songs and poems in their socio-cultural lives. A Lot Of of these hymns are recited or sung as prayers daily or on specific occasions, while others are heard or chanted as devotional items at any time desired by the followers. The first poem that strikes your mind when talking about the devotional Hindu music is Tulsidas' 'Hanuman Chalisa' that is a religious poem praising the god Hanuman.

Hanuman Chalisa is a popular devotional poem that has gained immense popularity amongst the Hindu devotees. Every Tuesday and sometimes on other days of the week, a lot of Hindus chant it in praise of Hanuman.

Bhajans by Mirabai are also highly regarded in the devotional Hindu music. These bhajans are poem-like songs, which are devotional and lyrical in nature. These prayers in the bhakti tradition are sung in praise of Lord Krishna.

In her songs, Mirabai presents her devotion and eternal love for Krishna. Her poem-songs depict Krishna sometimes as a husband and at other times as a lover. Mirabai expresses her earnest desire for unison with Lord Krishna by the medium of these songs. Thus, these bhajans have religious as well as romantic music and lyrics.

Appropriate mention should also be made of Sur Sagar or Ocean of Melody composed by Surdas. Surdas' music composed of more than hundred thousand pieces of lyrical poetry has been eternally respected by Hindus. Sadly just about 8,000 of them have been documented.

These poems primarily talk about the life and exploits of Lord Krishna, and reflect the poet's devotion to the Bhakti movement. They often depict the sacred union of the lovers Radha and Krishna and the celestial dances they performed called Lilas. A description of holy songs in Hindu religion needs a special discussion of the Bijak or Seedling that was a compilation of poems by Kabir on the theme of the unity of all religions and deities.

The songs reflect many thoughts relating to karma, Brahman and atman along with a spiritual underlying theme. They ask people to forget about their religious teachings and scriptures and follow the target of ekatwa or unity with God.