Namasamkirtana

The namasamkirtana (Sanskrit: नामसङ्कीर्तन, romanized: Nāmasaṅkīrtana), also rendered namajapa (Sanskrit: नामजप, romanized: Nāmajapa) is the Hindu practice of congregational chanting of the names and other sacred expressions associated with a given deity. More commonly practised by members of the Vaishnava tradition, the namasamkirtana is characterised by devotees chanting the names of God in a religious gathering, in an expression of bhakti (devotion) and in a bid to achieve devotional ecstasy. This practice is regarded to have become popularised by the traditions that centred around Chaitanya, Vallabha, and Vithoba. The practice is regarded to be a common form of bhajana.