Bhajan

The bhajan has a special place in India.  Most bhajans were written between the 14th through 17th centuries.  They are simple songs sung in the praise of God.  Complex spiritual truths are portrayed in the simple 

language of the farmers, merchants and other common people of the time.  Bhajan is an important part of a Hindu revivalist movement which swept through India during the Mogul period; this movement was known as the Bhakti movement.  The crux of this movement was simple; spiritual salvation was attainable to anyone who had a pure and selfless love of God.  This salvation was not predicated upon formalised yagnas, pujas, knowledge of Sanskrit, or any of the characteristics of the older forms of Hinduism.  This was a spiritual empowerment of the masses.   

Bhajan is difficult to describe musically because it is not defined by any musical characteristics; it is defined by a sense of devotion (bhakti).   Bhajans cover a broad spectrum of musical styles from the simple musical chant (dhun) to highly developed versions comparable to thumri.