July Kirtan.

After an unfortunate postponement (for the first time in three years) we held our July kirtan last Sunday.

We weren't as big a gathering as usual, but our MC - Shaunaka - encouraged us to chant loudly and with enthusiasm in the spirit of "let me think not what the kirtan can do for me, but what I can do for the kirtan" - the result was terrific!

Gopal led us in chanting Govinda Jaya Jaya - an ancient mantra from the Radha-Raman temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. Rembert - who is just completing his DPhil in Sanskrit - led us in chanting the maha-mantra (Hare Krishna mantra) and Gopal finished off with the Pancha-Tattva mantra.

We have managed to buy some new recording equipment, and are in the process of editing the whole backlog of kirtan recordings, with a view to podcasting them very soon. Good news!

Jahnavi and the Mantralogy Tour '09

If you're wondering where our beautiful kirtan chanter Jahnavi (with the violin) is right now, she is on the Mantralogy Tour '09 with Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits and The Mayapuris. They travel around the US and Canada chanting (and dancing) at yoga centres and festivals. Judging from the photos, she's having a good time...

(With Shiva Rea at the Kripalu Yoga Centre)

Looking forward to having her and her sister with us in Oxford in the autumn (hopefully).

Next kirtan 26th July!

We've moved the next kirtan to the 26th July (from the 19th) as all our chanters fell sick, and hope this will not inconvenience you too much. Come and chant with us before the summer's break, come and chant - to have a break...

Love this picture of the rain so had to add some lyrics below to justify its insertion. It's also quite topical.


"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothin' seems to fit
Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

So I just did me some talkin' to the sun
And I said I didn't like the way he got things done
Sleepin' on the job
Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin' [...]"