(This essay was originally submitted in 2018 as part of the coursework for my M.Mus in Ethnomusicology at SOAS, University of London . I was reminded of it recently when I came across Professor Brahma Prakashâs article on Scroll.in entitled âWhy the toxic beats of âDisc Jockey Hindutvaâ are so dangerous for Indiaâ
Unfortunately, the YouTube video analyzed in the piece no longer seems to be on the site. I hope the essay can still stand on its own merits. I will include a representative YouTube video of Didi Maa at the end of the essay.)Â
Bhajan is the major genre of devotional singing in Hinduism. It is a loosely structured song, usually performed in regional languages. It can be sung by an individual or by a congregation. Themes typically include ideas from scriptures, the teachings of saints and loving devotion to a deity.
Since I am from a South Asian background, I am familiar with bhajans. However, I have previously approached them through Hindustani classical music, in which the focus is on aesthetic beauty and using the bhajanâs lyrics to develop the raga. In a devotional context, in contrast, the words and the message of the bhajan can often be more important than the musical content.
In this essay, I will discuss Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambharaâs performance of a Krishna bhajan âAaj Gopal Raas Rasâ, and compare her to the female sadhus studied by Antoinette Elizabeth DeNapoli in her monograph Real Sadhus Sing to God: Gender, Asceticism and Vernacular Religion in Rajasthan (Oxford University Press 2014) . One of the major contrasts is that Didi Maa is involved in Hindutva politics, which would seem to contradict the role of the sadhu as someone who has renounced worldly life. DeNapoliâs informants, on the other hand, are focused on singing to god as a way of serving humanity through seva. Continue reading Hindutva Music: Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara As an Example of a Female Sadhu