24 Hour Kirtan

The 24 Hour Kirtan is
June 16 – 17, 2012.

The 24-Hour Kirtan (24HK) is celebrating its 6th Anniversary! The dates for this year’s festival are June 16-17, 2012. Held in the foothills of West Virginia at the Krishna farm community of New Vrindaban, the festival offers an opportunity to chant shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most gifted Mantra Music artists in the world. For the nearly 1000 people who attend this festival each year, it marks the beginning of Summer. Taking place on the third weekend in June, as per tradition, it falls one week after the New York Ratha-Yatra, the Festival of Chariots on 5th Ave. The festival is free to all who attend including meals throughout the weekend, accommodations are simple and ashram like. A $25 suggested donation is requested to help cover the costs of running the festival. Larger donations and sponsorships are welcome and can be made from www.Mantralogy.com/24.

Past years have included Mantra Music chanters Radhanath Swami, Bada Haridas Prabhu, The Mayapuris, Sivaram Swami, and Madhava Prabhu to name a few. This year’s festival features Bhakti Charu Swami, Agnideva Prabhu, and Amala Kirtan, along with the many artists who have become a staple of the 24HK including Ananta Govinda, Acyuta Gopi, Gaura Vani, and the young, meteoric, Ayush Sharma. (See Mantralogy.com/24 for a complete list of chanters.)

With Kirtan Festivals popping up all over the globe one might wonder exactly which one to choose or where to go. Undoubtedly, the 24 Hour Kirtan Festival offers the unique opportunity to dive into the essence of mantra in the deepest sense of the word. The Mahamantra, which is said to contain within it all other mantras, is chanted for a full 24 hours, with no break. And to be honest, we all have a hard time stopping when it’s time to go home.

“For me 24 Hour Kirtan is a one of the greatest days of the year. Chanting, and hearing the mahamantra for a full day and night with the world’s best Kirtan walas is an incredibly transformational experience. Last year I stayed all night. That’s when it gets really good. The mahamatra is like a sacred bath for the mind. In the wee hours of the night, after many, many hours of chanting had passed, I felt as though layers of ego and self judgement were being systematically and delicately stripped away by the transcendental sound. My heart opened like a flower. Every year it gets better.” says Mantralogy co-founder Keli Lalita Reddy. “My husband and I make it a vacation for our family too. Vegan s’mores and all. It’s so much fun.”

“It’s a Kirtan Rave,” says Rasa-Acharya, festival co-founder and Mantralogy Czar, with no hint of irony.

So come join us. 24 Hour Kirtan is a very tangible way to purify the heart and mind, the body and soul through a method which is all about joy. Dance, chant and share meals of sacred food with like minded people. Visit a truly authentic Krishna Temple, and make friends that last a lifetime.

“As each hour progresses, the chanting gets more intense, the music building to a crescendo. You can feel a real change in your consciousness from the beginning of the festival to the end. There’s no other festival like it anywhere on this Earth.” say Gaura Vani, Kirtan musician and Mantralogy co-founder.

The festival includes breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Each hour will also be webcasted live around the world and the recordings will be available for free download. The recordings from the past four years are available online at Mantralogy.com/24. Accommodations are not included and can be procured by contacting the Palace Lodge directly (304-843-1600 x111) or at surrounding hotels.

In order to cover the costs of the free festival, the 24HK Team is actively seeking and accepting donations and has published its budget online. Some key areas to support are: 4 Meals for 600-800 people, travel costs and honorariums for artists, sound system rental, printing costs, marketing and promotions, staffing (from management to bathroom cleaning). Based on the amount of donations raised, festival organizers have created a “Suggested Donation,” a voluntary contribution that can be paid at the time of arrival at the festival for all that have the desire and means to give.

“We see this festival as a glimpse into the future,” says Ananda Tirtha (Chairman of the 24HK). “We are cooperating closely with the management of the temple here and trying to build a festival that can sustain for many years to come.”