Temple Songs Course

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From early in the morning until late in the evening, beautiful prayers are sung in Krishna temples all around the world. This Temple Songs course was created to make it fun and easy to learn these sacred songs. This course is designed to shorten your learning curve and assist your meditation when singing these songs.

For each of the Temple Songs, you’ll be guided in the:

Correct Sanskrit and Bengali pronunciation
Meaning of the words and verses
“How to play” video instruction and notation for harmonium or keyboard
Musicians and a choir to sing with
Morning and evening melodies

Instructor: Bada Haridas & Visvambhar Sheth
Level: All levels
Videos: 45 (???)
Reference pdfs: 18
Price: $35 USD* Donation

"These Temple Songs were written by self-realized saints, and taught to us by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

These songs are filled with wisdom and inspiration for our internal prayer and daily meditation. They are priceless gems.

It is our desire for you to experience deep realizations and progress swiftly on your spiritual journey by singing these wonderful songs and meditating on their meaning. In this course, you can learn each song by singing along with us.

Because these songs are composed in the Sanskrit and Bengali languages, we’ve included a pronunciation guide, the English translation, and the meaning and significance of each song.

If you are new to these songs, you’ll have an advantage. You’ll learn both the proper pronunciation, and the common mispronunciations, and can learn correctly from the beginning.

We also show you how to play the songs on the harmonium, and accompany them with the mridanga and kartals.

It’s our desire to make learning these Temple songs easy and enjoyable. Have fun and share these beautiful songs with your family and friends."

—Bada Haridas

Frequently asked questions

Is Mridanga 1 suitable for complete beginners?

Yes. No experience is required. The course includes how to sit with and hold the drum, strike the drum, play the basic sounds (bols), hand practices (hasta sadhana) and kirtan mantras.

Who is the instructor for this course?

Your teacher is Visvambhar Sheth, a renowned kirtaniya and lifelong mridanga student and teacher.

How do I communicate with my teacher?

Within the course is a discussion forum where you can write to your teacher. You also have access to the Q&A from other students and your teacher.

Do I need a mridanga?

Yes, you will need a drum to practice with. Both fiberglass and clay mridangas work well.

How long does it take to complete the course?

Most students take 3-6 months, practicing 15 – 30 minutes per day.

How long should I practice per day?

15–30 minutes is recommended. More is great.

What are the course materials?

This course includes a booklet and individual pdfs for each section, that contain notation for each of the bols, hasta sadhanas, kirtan mantras and tihais.

Should I use a metronome?

Optional but helpful.

What is a bol?

A bol is a syllable (dha, ge, te, etc.) that represents a specific stroke on the drum.

Do I need to memorize bols?

Over time yes—but memorization happens naturally through practice.

What is Hastha Sadhana?

It is repetitive hand training to develop precision, clarity, speed, and endurance.

What is the Seed Mantra ‘Te-Re-Khe-Ta’?

It is the foundational 4-stroke mantra used in many bols, tihais, and kirtan grooves.

Why does Hastha Sadhana start slow?

Slow repetition builds proper muscle memory and steady rhythm.

What is a tihai?

A phrase repeated 3 times, landing on beat 1 (sum). It acts as a transition from one phrase to the next.

How do I receive the course completion certificate?

Complete all lessons and mark each as finished.

Is there a final test?

No exam—your progress through the course is your demonstration of completion.

Course Preview

meet your instructor

A lifelong musician, professionally trained in classical music and jazz, Bada Haridas received his Bachelors of Music Composition from the University of Southern California, and a scholarship for graduate studies at the Institute for Advanced Musical Studies in Montreux, Switzerland.

Since 1975 Bada Haridas has studied and taught Indian devotional music. He is a celebrated Kirtan singer and performs at festivals around the world.

In this unique course, he shares his knowledge and years of experience to help you enter into the world of sacred music and kirtan.

meet your instructor

An internationally recognized Kirtan singer, recording artist, and inspirational speaker, Visvambhar (Vish) has a lifelong connection to India and its culture. Being brought up in a Kirtan family and community, he began leading Kirtan from the age of five. Vish is a multi-instrumentalist and a master of the Mridanga drum. From childhood to the present day, he has studied with Bablu Mahasaya, a recognized master in the lineage of Narottam das Thakura.