Bhajans are devotional songs – expressions of love and surrender to the divine. While many bhajans are simple and folk-like, some are directly based on classical raags.
Bhajans and raags
A bhajan can:
- Use a raag very strictly (almost like a short khayal).
- Use raag flavor but take some liberties with notes and phrases.
- Be purely folk, with no strict raag structure at all.
Classical musicians who sing bhajans often:
- Choose raags that match the devotional mood (Yaman, Bhimpalasi, Bhairavi, etc.).
- Apply classical voice culture and ornamentation.
- Allow more lyrical repetition and audience participation.
Bhakti and classical music
The Bhakti movement in medieval India produced a huge body of devotional poetry in regional languages (Kabir, Mirabai, Tulsidas, etc.). Many of those poems were set to raag-based tunes and sung in temples, gatherings, and homes.
Today, bhajans form a bridge between:
- Pure classical concerts (where raag grammar is central), and
- Devotional or spiritual gatherings (where lyrical meaning and collective feeling are central).
For new listeners, raag-based bhajans are an easy, emotionally direct way to get used to the sound of classical music without feeling overwhelmed.