The Bhakti Bar

Founded by San Francisco based loveangelist Andrew Zenoff (I think you will truly enjoy reading about my dear friend), The Bhakti Bar was created to support Bhakti and Kirtan by providing comfortable and spirited spaces, both online and actual, for their devoted artists, communities and anyone seeking to share love through music and connection. According to the site, "through the singing, chanting, dancing and music, Kirtan can lift the heart and bring great love into one's life. The Bhakti Bar's goal is to help spread this goodness."   What is Bhakti? (Sanskrit: "devotion") related to the path of love and devotion. Bhakti is often translated as "devotion", though it has been suggested that a better rendering would be "participation".The Sanskrit noun bhakti is derived from the verb root bhaj, whose meanings include "to share in", "to belong to", "being a part of" and "that which belongs to or is contained in anything else".

What is Kirtan? (Sanskrit: "to repeat") a call-and-response chanting originally performed in India's devotional traditions. Now becoming very popular in the West. Kirtan involves chanting hymns and mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, the mrdanga or pakawaj drums, and hand cymbals. Through this unique combination of music, singing and repeating mantras, Kirtan becomes a direct path for quieting the mind, uplifting, opening the heart, and filling oneself with peace ecstasy and joy. For more, here are some reflections on Kirtan from Jai Uttal and Indian Raga.

The Bhakti Bar online will provide resources for learning about Bhakti and Kirtan by: 
•Offer a place to share pictures, videos and impressions of Kirtan and other Bhakti events held locally, nationally and internationally
•Provide access and information about to artists, music, classes, events and gatherings
•Be a gathering place to invite, connect, and chat with others in the Kirtan community - locally and internationally
•Enjoy live streams of kirtans that you are unable to attend
•Offer downloads of live kirtans, and prerecorded kirtans from across the planet
•Invite reviews of kirtans and other bhakti events
•and more...

Gaura Vani and Acyuta Gopi The Bhakti Bar online will also produce events and gatherings as it works in partnership with Kirtan artists, and other producers of Kirtan events. In the future, The Bhakti Bar plans to open physical spaces - a new kind of place to hang out, connect, socialize and share with like minded community. The Bhakti Bar will be a place to participate and enjoy nightly Kirtans, and other Bhakti and heart opening activities. You will be invited to take lessons, lead Kirtans, and explore your own heart's expression.

I am extremely excited for the recent launch of The Bhakti Bar, their positive team and especially for the thousands of souls who will be touched by the uplifting and evolving traditions of Kirtan and Bhakti. Yesterday afternoon, I gathered with Andrew and friends atop Marin's Mt. Tamalpais in celebration of the life of our soul brother David Ames, who courageously transitioned exactly one year ago. Andrew hiked his harmonium, one of the instruments used to accompany the singing, to the selected perch high above the expansive blanket of fog and led us in the chant, "Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram." 

How Beautiful it was!!! 

We will for sure give you updates on future Bhakti Bar events around LA and elsewhere. I plan on attending their launch event August 8 in San Francisco and I invite you to come join in spreading the love around. 



Read more of Forrest's blogs at LoveAngeles.com