KIRTAN. H 1ND. The relation of the deeds of Rains, during the nine days of the Rama Naomi ; any hymn or poetical relation or ballad in praise • of the Hindu gods, and sung to music. Tho kirtans are arranged for part singing, in con stantly changing. measures, and have been com posed to be sung by itinerant choirs of boys or young men, under a precentor, at country fairs, and iu the village bazars of Gujerat and the Mall ratta country. Each kirtan is headed by the auspicious word Sri, and begins with an invoca tion to Ganesha, the god of wisdom, and Saras wati, the goddess of learning and music, the Minerva Musica of the Hindus, and the other greater gods of their pantheon, and each ends with ascriptions of praise and loyalty to the Queen, and supplication for the blessing of God, and the citation of the names of some of the idol gods invoked at the head of the kirtans. The different metres used are :-1. The Abhanga, unbroken, employed in religious songs; 2. Arati,
exclusively sung before idols in the evening or at the end of a religions lecture or song ; 3. Ayra, employed in composing narrative ; 4. Dhanak shari (?); 5. Hindi, a new metre, used chiefly in modern dramatic performances ; G. Katava or Katao, a fanciful measure, displaying the writer's command of alliteration, etc., and used chiefly in martial songs; 7. Kekawall, imitative of a series of cries of the peacock ; 8. Laoni or Lawani, a metre generally used only in obscene songs, but latterly for religious also; 9. Naman, the lines in praise of a deity at the commencement of a Puran ; 10. Pad, used chiefly in praising a deity, and sung in Kathas and singing parties ; .11. Saki, a light metre used like the Hindi ; 12. Sloka or Shlok, stanzas of two lines, the length of which varies, and used in ordinary poetical compositions.