The Unforgettable 1977 Kirtan Competition

The one and only 1977 Mayapur Kirtan Competition was a seminal moment in ISKCON’s history, bringing together international devotees and traditional Bengali kirtan parties on a single stage. Held under the sweltering heat of Mayapur, the event required participating parties to pour their hearts into intense, hour-long live performances.

International & Regional Performers

The competition featured a dynamic mix of global ISKCON centers and deeply rooted local kirtan traditions:

International ISKCON Groups: Represented by teams such as the Chicago Temple coalition, the combined LA/San Francisco Temple team, the Nama Hatta Group, and the young chanters of the Mayapur Chandrodaya Gurukula.

Bengali Kirtan Groups: Traditional local and regional groups brought authentic regional flavor, including the Amghat Harinam Sankirtan Dal, Sridharas Kirtan Group, Gopal Bhai Bhai Kirtan Group, Anand Sarana Group, Sri Krsna Sampradaya, and the Gour Nitai Sampradaya.

Musical Impact & Legacy

The event served as a major cultural exchange. Devotees gained immense insight into traditional Bengali kirtan style, rhythm, and vocal technique—knowledge that was subsequently integrated into temple kirtans worldwide.

Much of this historical gathering was preserved thanks to the audio recordings made on-site in 1977 by Gopati dasa. These recordings captured not only the high-energy Hare Krishna kirtans under the Mayapur pandal but also provided a lasting resource that shaped the sound and spirit of ISKCON kirtan for generations to come.

Recording by Gopati dasa (ACBSP)

Equipment: Nakamichi 550 Portable Recording Studio

Remastered in 2026 by Uttamasloka Dasa (ACBSP)

Recordings From the Competition

Recording links added below as they are uploaded

Amghata Harinam Sankirtan Dal

Sri Krsna Sampradaya Kirtan Group (Rhythm of Tradition Kirtan Series)

Sridharas Kirtan Goup 

Ananda Sampradaya Kirtan Group

Gopal Bhai Bhai Kirtan Group-- Coming Soon

Gour Nitai Sampradaya Kirtan Group-- Coming Soon

Stories From Participants

Uttamasloka Dasa (ACBSP)

In the spring of 1977, devotees gathered at the Mayapur pandal for a historic kirtan competition. To represent their devotional spirit, smaller centers formed combined teams—including a notable coalition uniting devotees from Montreal, Toronto, and Chicago under the banner of Chicago Kirtan Group. There was also a separate contest for local Bengali kirtan groups.

Leading up to the competition

The days leading up to the main competition were filled with high energy throughout the Mayapur campus:

Uttamasloka:

“At the first Mangala-arati of the festival, a sannyasi sang the Raja Bhoga song: “Bhaja bhakata-vatsala sri-gaurahari...” Everyone was looking at each other wondering why he was singing that song at this time. And the kirtan after was not inspiring. Srila Prabhupada also heard it from his room upstairs and afterwards he said, “Why are they chanting that song? Don’t do that.” He chastised them, and after, Acyutananda swami made an announcement to that effect the next morning.

The second Mangala Arati wasn’t very enlivening either, even though the correct prayers were chanted. After the morning program, many devotees approached me and everyone asked me to lead the next Mangala Arati. They were very insistent. I said I would gladly do it if they asked me, but I wasn’t going to force it. Well, the next morning I walked into the temple room before Mangala Arati and Praghosa was waiting for me. He grabbed my arm and said, “You’re leading the kirtan.” He led me to a circle of devotees near the front who had their arms locked with each other to form an enclosed barrier.  Many of them had karatals too.

When they saw me, the circle opened and I walked in, and there was the mic stand and mrdanga waiting for me to lead the kirtan. So I lead the kirtan just like we did in Chicago every morning and there were enough devotees from Chicago and Toronto to back me up with the arrangement. The kirtan started moderately and soon took off for the first crescendo, and when it came back down to a moderate tempo, the mic went dead. The lights were still on so it wasn’t a typical power failure. It was sabotage.

A few devotees ran to the PA setup and got it working quickly. The kirtan never stopped either so there was no break in the energy, just no voice over the speakers for a bit. We carried on and it happened again shortly after. So it was fixed again and that didn’t stop the kirtan either. It turned out to be a fantastic kirtan and everyone was ecstatic. It was the first big kirtan of the festival. Many devotees approached me later to say how wonderful it was and they wanted me to lead more kirtans.

We found out that the culprit was a swami, i.e., he had one of his henchmen do it, and when I found out which one, I ‘gave him the sauce’, as we used to say back then. We’re in the Holy Dhama during Gaura Purnima and he tried to thwart a kirtan in front of the Deities and while Srila Prabhupada was there? I made sure he understood the severity of his offense. 

Interestingly, that swami’s group was one of our main competitors, but they dropped out before the finals. And after the Mayapur segment of the festival, I went to Delhi to shop for the Chicago temple. While at the local Delhi temple visiting the temple president, I noticed a devotee in the fetal position on the floor in the far corner of the office. He was clearly suffering. I asked who it was, and the temple president told me it was the same swami who had his man pull the plug. He had malaria.

Well, well, well.”

The Competition

Uttamasloka: 

“For our kirtan, we had freshly shaved heads, tilak stamps with the Holy Names, perfect tilak, brand new dhotis, chadars, and we had the zig-zag front on our dhotis - the Bengali style. We had a nice V formation with me in the middle leading, and we did a really nice kirtan. But the challenge was you had to chant for an hour nonstop in 100-degree weather in the afternoon. It was under a tent so that helped a bit.” 

Previously, I encountered a Bengali devotee whom I had met before and he told me, “I lived with Krishna dasa Babaji for six months.” Then he related several amazing stories about how he never saw him sleep or eat, and so on - always chanting. We made a nice connection talking about that because he knew that I had also met and recorded Krishna dasa Babaji in previous years.

So after our first kirtan, I saw him and he said, “Uttamasloka, I was out in the field when your kirtan was going on. I was doing some work at the goshala and I thought, ‘Oh, one of the Bengali groups is chanting and they sound wonderful! I have to go hear them!’” He said, “I ran to the stage and to my surprise it was you and your group!” I said, “That is our reward, that is our prize. A Bengali who associated with Krishna dasa Babaji thought we were one of the Bengali groups.” That was a valuable prize for me. That says we did it. So I hugged him. I said, “Thank you. That means more to me than anything.”

A Blessing from Srila Prabhupada

Discouraged by pushback from some devotees. Uttamasloka questioned whether to still be involved in the competition and whether this event was fostering the true spirit of kirtan: 

Uttamasloka:

“A few devotees from other temples started giving our kirtan group members a hard time - being critical. We didn’t sound like any of the other kirtan groups and there was clearly some envy aroused. At one point, Tamal Krishna came up to me...

Tamal: “Well Uttama, your group is in the semi-finals. Looks like you might win.” 

Uttamasloka: “No, we’re not going to win.” 

Tamal: “Why not?”

Uttamasloka: “Because we're not going to do it.” 

Tamal: “What do you mean you’re not going to do it?”

Uttamasloka: “We're dropping out.” 

Tamal: “Why?” 

Uttamasloka: “Nobody appreciates what we’re doing, some are critical, and someone even tried to thwart my kirtan that morning. They do not understand the real mood of kirtan, so why should we even bother?” 

Tamal: “Well, Prabhupada appreciates it.”

Uttamasloka: “How do you know?”

Tamal: “We were sitting in the room with Prabhupada. As you know, he hasn’t been feeling very well and he was just sitting there with his head down on his raised knee. Then your kirtan group came on and when it started to build up, he started tapping his hand on his knee in the rhythm. And then when it crescendoed, he looked up and he said, ‘Just see, this is ecstasy. This is real ecstasy.’ He didn’t say a word about any other kirtan groups. We were just waiting for him to talk, but that’s all he said. So Prabhupada appreciated your kirtan.”

Uttamasloka: “Are you kidding with me?”

Tamal: “I’m telling you the truth, I swear.” 

Was he? I don’t know. But, I accepted it. So I said, “OK, we’ll stay in the competition.”

The Final Awards

Uttamasloka:

“There were two prizes—Best Kirtan Leader, Best Kirtan Group. I wanted the Best Kirtan Group because that’s how we were presenting ourselves - as a group. It wasn’t about me and my backup singers, it was all of us. So I wanted that prize for us. The biggest competition was Agnideva and the L.A. devotees. He has a more mellifluous voice than me. He’s a crooner with a smooth voice. I thought, “He deserves the Best Kirtan leader. I’m just a solid singer, but he’s got the voice.” But it turned out that they gave me the Best Kirtan Leader, and they gave them the Best Kirtan Group. Oh well.”

Link to Chicago kirtan similar to the one performed in Mayapur

The first and last ISKCON Kirtan Competition

From “Festivals” by Lokanatha Swami

Two days before the 1977 Gaura Purnima, Jayapataka Maharaja staged the nama kirtana competition, which turned out to be the first and last of its kind.

On the main stage, a day of elimination contests were held, and the next day was the grand finale. Kirtana groups from all over Bengal came to exhibit their talents — singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Particularly attractive were the special mrdangas beats the native Bengalis knew how to play. Jayadvaita Swami recalls seeing the kirtana leaders from America hanging around near the stage, picking up on the mrdangas beats that the Bengalis were doing, hoping to take their styles back to the West.

Devotees also formed their own kirtana contingents. The different temples took part, including our bullock-cart traveling sankirtana party. Some kirtana parties took the competition very seriously and spent many days practicing mrdanga beats and choreographed dance steps. Others were spontaneous and did not rehearse.

Guru-krpa’s Nama-hatta party was the most enthusiastic and did the wildest dancing. His men danced with all their strength and passion. Uttamasloka Dasa, the temple president from Chicago, had a polished routine, perfected through hours of practice. His group was favored to win the contest. In the bullock-cart kirtana party, I was the kirtana leader, and Abhayasraya played the mrdanga. Ravi, Atma-tattva, Krsna-nama, and others played kartalas and danced.

The kirtana competition went on all day, for two days. Each group performed for about half an hour, trying to put on the best show. The local Bengali singers were smartly dressed, with bright yellow and blue sashes, and they played great mrdangas beats and even cried and howled during their kirtanas. Perhaps they thought they could easily win by displaying such symptoms. So they put on a whole show, embracing each other in feigned separation from the Lord and rolling on the ground. The Bengalis sang in high-pitched voices, and the devotees responded until their throats were hoarse.

All this was being amplified through the Indian sound system. Unfortunately, the speakers were directed toward the Lotus Building, where Prabhupada was staying, and Prabhupada became disturbed by the excessive noise. He eventually asked what was happening, and the devotees told him in detail about the competition.

He reacted unfavorably: “This is not nama-sankirtana. It is nama-aparadha. They are simply singing for money.”

So the competition was stopped, and Jayapataka Maharaja decided not to hold any more kirtana competitions. The Los Angeles party of Agnideva, Puspadanta, and Ramadasa Abhirama won the competition.