Hori Mon Maujaye - teaser of a Kirtan

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Kirtan, also known as sankirtan, is the call-and-response chanting inspired and popularized by the great saint Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The roots of kirtan go back over 500 years to Renaissance India. During this period the influence and style of kirtan became the focal point for the upsurge in religious expression in Bengal led by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This joyful mood quickly spread throughout India, where today kirtan is accepted as one of the surest paths to enlightenment. The singing is accompanied by the ancient musical raga musical tradition with a rhythmic drumming style that transports the chanters to profound spiritual realms. In its religious fervor, it has been likened to modern American Gospel music, and in its heartfelt expression it compares to profound states of deep meditation.

This kirtan is an extract from Girish Chandra Ghosh-authored play 'Noti Binodini'.

Girish Chandra Ghosh (February 28, 1844 - 8 February 1912) was a famous Bengali musician, poet, playwright, novelist, actor and Sri Ramakrishna's celebrated disciple.His lifelong association with the theatre at its nascent stage greatly helped the development of Bengali theatre, transforming what had been amateur theatre into a professional one. Author of the largest number of Bangla plays, Girish Ghosh was probably the greatest actor of his time.

'Hari Mon Maujaye' is a devotional song in which Noti Binodini calls out in search of Hari (Sri Krishna), pleading him to come out of his playful hiding and relieve her awaiting soul. This edited version is my short tribute to two stalwarts of Bengali Theatre - Late Shri Girish Chandra Ghosh and 'the queen of Bengali folk theatre', Late Smt. Bina Dasgupta who famously portrayed the title role of 'Noti Binodini'.