Bhajan is an Indian term for any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, particularly within the Dharmic religions, and may be composed in any language. The word bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means reverence, and derives from the root bhaj (भज्), meaning to revere, as in the well-known phrase Bhaja Govindam ("Revere Govinda"). The term bhajana also carries the sense of sharing.
The word bhajan is also commonly used to describe a group gathering at which devotional songs are sung, typically led by one or more lead singers and accompanied by music and at times dancing. Bhajans are usually accompanied by percussion instruments such as the tabla, dholak or a tambourine, while handheld cymbals known as kartals are often used to keep the beat. A bhajan may be sung in a temple, at home, under a tree in the open, by a river bank, or at a place of historic significance. A group of bhajan performers is sometimes referred to as a maṇḍalī.
Bhajans have no prescribed form or set rules. They are typically lyrical and based on melodic ragas, and belong to a genre of music and arts that developed during the Bhakti movement. The form is found in various traditions of Hinduism as well as in Jainism, and within Hinduism it is particularly prevalent in Vaishnavism. Common subjects include ideas drawn from the scriptures, legendary epics, the teachings of saints, and loving devotion towards a chosen deity. Many bhajans have been composed anonymously and passed down as a shared musical and arts tradition.
Several distinct genres of bhajan singing have evolved, each with its own repertoire and stylistic conventions. These include Nirguni, Gorakhanathi, Vallabhapanthi, Ashtachhap and Madhura-bhakti, as well as the traditional South Indian form known as Sampradaya Bhajan.