Abstract

In the field of Indian music and literature, Padavali Kirtan is regarded as a remarkable artistic achievement which conveys the perfect blend of melody, poetry and dramatic aesthetic values. The lyrics of Vaishnava Savants are not only musical but also a fine piece of literature called Brajabuli. Joydev, the celebrated author of the “Gitagovinda (Astapadi)” is regarded as the father of Padavali Kirtan and these forms were evolved from the ‘Padas’ of “Gitagovinda”. The word “Kirtan” is used all over India to signify, “Songs in Praise”. The theme of these compositions cover the divine love, sentiment and romance (divine shringar) of Srikrishna and Radha known as ‘Rasa-Kirtan’ and the composition was called ‘Lila- Kirtan’. Countless songs were composed on Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as his life story was very much related to the Radha Krishna theme. It is believed that the compositions of Padavali Kirtan are very much influenced by the Hindustani classical music. Padavali Kirtan has also its own tala system which is based on Sri-Khol (Mridangam) and it is the most attractive feature of Padavali Kirtan, which makes it different from all other types of music of India, in respect of sound production with great performance and presentation.