Kirtan and the Bhakti Mandala

Residing in Boulder County imparts on its inhabitants many benefits, whether socially, culturally or educationally. However, religious diversity is not a decidedly robust attribute in our relatively homogenous religious landscape. I say relatively, because certainly, the Abrahamic traditions are well represented and a smattering of the foremost eastern traditions can also be discovered along our burgeoning Front Range. Nevertheless, deciding on a subject matter tradition to research proved more difficult than I anticipated. Due in part by virtue of wanting an interesting and challenging project and in part, by attempting to explore something unusual and completely outside of my comfort zone. Consequently, the anthropological field study I will aspire to unveil is “Kirtan and the Bhakti Mandala” at The StarHouse. The accompanying ethnographic attempt at accurately parsing participant intent from the anthropological field study may contain inadvertent inaccuracies due to my divergence from a mainstream religious tradition. This can be attributed to lack of long-term field study (this research was conducted over the course of several hours in a single day) as well as the relative lack of research experience most likely demonstrated by this particular student.

Introduction

The StarHouse All Seasons Chalice is “a non-profit church, dedicated to the celebration of the sacred” (StarHouse), located approximately 3 miles west of Boulder, Colorado along Sunshine Canyon Road. In addition to hosting a range of events and on-going programs that the StarHouse trustees call “trans-denominational” (StarHouse), the grounds and associated facilities are also available for an assortment of eclectic ceremonies and rituals. On November 3rd, I att...

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... of the chants started with a relaxed musical time signature, often building to an unhurried crescendo, leaving the room filled with an almost palpable vibration of energy. At the end of each Kirtan, the participants would emerge from their experience, re-center, and after a short silence the chant leader would began anew. The crowd involvement, unlike other religious traditions I have attended, was a fundamental piece of this experience; equally connecting everyone in the room while at the same time allowing each individual the latitude to focus on his or her own intention. Ultimately, as the last dusky daylight was beginning to fade away, Kirtan and the Bhakti Mandala came to a close with “Jai Ganesha”, a popular Kirtan. As the participants collected their shoes and quietly dispersed into the approaching evening, the warmth of the previous three hours lingered.