Course Overview

Welcome to our Mridanga classes designed to help you achieve your goals. Our classes are offered both individually and in groups, providing flexibility and tailored learning experiences. All sessions are conducted via Zoom, ensuring you can join from anywhere. To book your slots, please contact us.

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Mridanga Course: From Basics to Mastery

Our mridanga course takes students from beginner to advanced levels over five stages, each lasting three to four months.

Level 1: Basics

• Learn fundamental sounds, basic mantras, and hand techniques.
• Develop speed, flexibility, and rhythm.
• Play simple kirtans and melodies.

Level 2: Variations

• Introduce variations for slow and fast beats.
• Learn longer rhythmic patterns (tehais) and alankars.
• Improve hand and finger dexterity.

Level 3: Advanced Kirtan Playing

• Master different rhythmic cycles (taals) used in kirtans.
• Learn advanced techniques like Hatuthis and dugis.
• Become proficient in standard ISKCON kirtan and bhajan playing.

Level 4: Professional Techniques

• Focus on advanced finger techniques, beat patterns, and professional playing.
• Gain the skills needed to start teaching others.

Level 5: Mastery and Teaching

• Achieve professional-level proficiency in mridanga playing.
• Learn to lead performances and teach junior students.

Instructor Details

Hemavarna Caitanya Das was raised in a Krishna Conscious family and joined ISKCON Salem’s Gurukula at the age of 9, where he built a solid foundation in scriptures and kirtan. A disciple of HH Jayapataka Maharaj, he received advanced mridanga training from the esteemed Sriman Radha Govinda Prabhu in Mayapur.

Today, Hemavarna travels across India conducting mridanga workshops, sharing his extensive knowledge and passion for kirtan. He is also the co-founder of NamaRuchi, an online kirtan teaching platform, alongside his elder brother, Hiranmaya Haladhara Prabhu. Through NamaRuchi, Hemavarna has contributed to its growth as a global hub for kirtan education, training over 300 students worldwide and fostering a vibrant community of young devotees.

What is in this Course

About

The Sri Khol, or Mridanga, is a fundamental instrument in the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition, essential in kirtana. Revered for its spiritual significance, the Mridanga is considered an expansion of Lord Balaram, Krishna's elder brother.

Indian classical music glorifies Krishna, with the Mridanga central to this tradition. In Harinam Sankirtans—communal worship through chanting and dancing—its rhythms purify the heart and create auspiciousness, making it vital in congregational gatherings.

The Mridanga was integral to the 16th-century sankirtana movement by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, emphasizing collective chanting as spiritual upliftment. His processions in Navadvipa were marked by the Mridanga and karatalas, creating transcendental joy.

Unique in construction and rhythms, the Mridanga has beats and mantras rooted in Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition. These rhythms align with Krishna's spiritual narratives, enhancing kirtana and telling stories through sound.

Learning the Mridanga requires a qualified teacher. Authentic playing invokes spiritual sentiments, and the traditional guru-mukha-vidya method ensures correct practice.

Playing the Mridanga is a service performed by Krishna's pure devotees, the gopis of Goloka Vrindavan. Devotees should engage with respect, aiming for pure devotion.

The Mridanga is a sacred tool for spiritual growth and communal worship. At Namaruchi Kirtan Academy, online classes offer authentic Mridanga training, enhancing devotional practice and contributing to Gaudiya Vaisnava kirtana.

Join us at Namaruchi Kirtan Academy to explore the divine rhythms of the Mridanga, connecting deeply with kirtana and bhakti dedicated to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.