Kirtan Instruments: Harmonium, Tabla, Kartals, and More

The harmonium is the melodic backbone of most Kirtan — a portable reed organ that arrived in India from Europe in the 19th century and was rapidly adopted into devotional music. Its drone-rich sound creates the perfect harmonic foundation for chant. Listen to David Newman (Durga Das) for a sense of how the instrument can carry an entire evening of chant.

The tabla is a paired hand drum — the smaller, higher-pitched 'tabla' played with the right hand, and the larger 'bayan' played with the left. Together they provide rhythmic sophistication and energetic momentum. Girish began his musical life as a tabla player in an ashram before stepping forward as a chant leader in his own right.

Kartals (also called khartal) are handheld percussion instruments — pairs of wooden or brass plates with jingles — that add shimmer and pulse to the Kirtan. They are among the simplest instruments to learn and one of the most beloved for beginners.

The mridanga is a double-headed barrel drum from South India, central to classical Carnatic devotional music and to ISKCON Kirtan. Its powerful, resonant sound can fill a room. The Mayapuris grew up on this drum and build their explosive performances around it, and Vaiyasaki Das is regarded as one of the great mridanga-playing chant leaders of the Western Bhakti world.