For decades, the rhythm of devotion followed a familiar geography — temples at dawn, sabhas in December, wooden chairs aligned in reverent rows. But today, spiritual music is learning to share space with the pulse. In cafés, hotels and concert-style halls, bhajans now arrive with lights, crescendos and audiences unafraid to tap their feet on the dance floor.
This quiet shift was on full display at the ‘Bhajan & Sufi Clubbing Party’, an immersive spiritual-musical celebration presented by The Good Deeds Club at ITC Welcomhotel, Chennai. Conceived by Apsara Reddy, president of the club, the event sought to reimagine how devotion could be experienced by a generation that connects as easily with rhythm as with reverence. “The core idea was to make spirituality joyful, inclusive, and alive for today’s generation. We (Good Deeds Club) believe goodness should not feel heavy or distant. It should feel warm, celebratory and accessible.”
In place of the customary silence that frames a bhajan, the hall opened up to a more participative atmosphere as Saindhavi and Sai Vignesh took the stage. Talking to CE, Saindhavi says the format is less a break from tradition and more a matter of presentation. “The packaging is different; Same content,” she says, explaining that the essence of devotion remains intact even in a high-energy setting. “However high-energy numbers we are presenting, I feel the divinity should not be lost. The intention is for people to feel the divine presence, go into a trance, go into a meditative state.”
Varaharoopam-fame Sai Vignesh admits that the phrase ‘bhajan clubbing’ itself was unfamiliar at first. “To be frank, this term ‘bhajan clubbing’ is new to me because I have been singing bhajans and devotional songs for many years now,” he says. But the goal, he adds, is simple participation. “Even if they don’t know the bhajans or the song, all we want from them is to just tap their hands or be in the same energy that we are planning today.” The event, he explains, is “more like a sing-along session, but in a very spiritual way”.
And the morning unfolded much as the singers and organisers had envisioned. Opening with Jai Ganesh and moving into Shri Krishna Govinda, the concert soon drew the audience into its rhythm. As namavalis (chants) rose in unison, accompanied with rhythmic claps, the hall slowly filled with a shared sense of devotion and energy.
On stage, keyboardist Ravi G, violinist Parur Ananthu and percussionist Sarvesh Karthik anchored the soundscape, weaving melody and rhythm into a seamless spiritual flow.
The move into unconventional venues, the artistes believe, is key to widening the audience for devotional music. “Bhajans — everybody thinks it is only for old people,” Saindhavi reflects. “But why not take it to the masses, the youngsters, the next generation?” Sai Vignesh, too, welcomes the change. “Many youngsters are totally into film music, rock, pop and jazz,” he says, adding that when they attend such concerts, “they will get to know that devotional songs or bhajans also have that energy and that foot-tapping feel in it.”
For Apsara, the choice of format is deeply tied to the club’s philosophy. “Spirituality does not belong only to temples, dargahs or quiet halls,” she says. “It belongs wherever the human heart is open.” By placing bhajans and Sufi music in a contemporary setting, she hoped to create “a space where people can feel devotion without feeling distant from their own lifestyle”.