Free Kirtan in
Rishikesh
Register your details / Registra tus datos
* Free registration, no payment required. / Registro gratuito, no se requiere ningún pago.
Why register?
Registrations help us keep a record of attendees, prepare for the sessions, and stay connected with our community.
Please register every time you plan to attend the kirtan.
Every Tuesday & Thursday
6:00 PM
At Nada Yoga School
Free and open to all
Free kirtan in Rishikesh
at Nada Yoga School
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00 PM, the doors of Nada Yoga School open in Rishikesh for an evening of kirtan, devotional chanting carried by harmonium, tabla and voice. It is free, open to everyone, and one of the simplest ways to feel the spirit of this city up close. You do not need to know a single mantra to come. You only need to show up, sit down, and let the sound do the rest. To enter, registration is required every time through the form above. Come and join us for a free kirtan in Rishikesh.
What is Kirtan ?
Kirtan is one of the oldest forms of devotional music in India, built on the repetition of sacred names, mantras and verses. A lead singer opens a phrase, and the group answers, so the chant grows in waves rather than staying still. There is nothing to memorize beforehand. The words return again and again until they start to feel familiar, and somewhere in that repetition, the mind quiets down and the room begins to breathe as one.
An evening at Nada Yoga School
Ours is a small, intimate gathering rather than a performance. Musicians sit close to everyone else, the harmonium sets the melody, tabla and hand cymbals carry the rhythm, and the singing moves between soft and full voiced as the evening unfolds. Some nights feel playful and joyful, others slow and tender, and that shift is part of what makes kirtan alive rather than scripted. Travelers who arrived in Rishikesh that same morning end up sitting next to yoga teachers who have practiced for years, all following the same chant.
Why Rishikesh, why now
Rishikesh has drawn seekers, musicians and pilgrims for generations, and kirtan sits at the heart of that living tradition. Attending one here is different from listening to a recording or reading about the practice elsewhere. You hear the instruments in the room, you feel the rhythm in your own chest, and you leave carrying a small piece of Rishikesh’s spiritual life with you, wherever you go next
Why people fall in love with it
Guests often tell us they came out of curiosity and left with something harder to put into words, a sense of having been part of something larger than themselves for an hour. Singing in a group has a way of dissolving the usual distance between strangers. By the end of the evening, most people have stopped thinking about whether they sang the right notes. They are simply present, part of the sound, part of the circle, and that feeling tends to stay with them long after they leave Rishikesh.
Almost 19 years of Nada Yoga in Rishikesh
Nada Yoga School has been teaching yoga and Indian classical music in Rishikesh for almost 19 years, among the first schools in the city to place sound at the center of yogic practice. Kirtan has been part of that story since the beginning, and today it is something of a tradition, an evening that former students, longtime friends and their families look forward to whenever they pass through Rishikesh.
Practical information
Day: Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Nada Yoga School, Rishikesh
Entry: Free
Registration: Required every time, through the form below
Before you come
Wear something comfortable, arrive a few minutes early to settle in, and leave any instrument or preparation at home, none is needed. If this is your first kirtan, sit near the front, listen for the first cycle or two, and join in whenever it feels natural.
Frequently asked questions
Is registration necessary even though the kirtan is free?
Yes. Registration is required for every session, even if you have attended before. Please submit the form ahead of each Tuesday or Thursday evening you plan to join.
Do I need to know Sanskrit or how to sing?
No. The chants repeat throughout the evening, so you can follow along naturally, and many guests choose to simply listen for part of the session.
Can I come if I am not studying at Nada Yoga School?
Yes. The kirtan is open to the wider Rishikesh community, not only to our students.
What if I have never been to a kirtan before?
That describes most of our first time guests. Sit close, listen for a round or two, and let your voice join in whenever you feel ready.
