Across India’s major cities, a striking cultural shift is taking place. Generation Z (Gen Z) – long seen as nightlife and digital aficionados – is redefining what it means to “party” in the 2020s, reported The Indian Express.
Instead of lining up outside nightclubs for booze-fuelled raves, thousands of young people are flocking to auditoriums, cafes, and event spaces for nights of collective chanting, devotional music, and ecstatic shared experience.
The movement, now widely known as bhajan clubbing, blends ancient devotional practice with contemporary concert culture.
From Bengaluru to Mumbai, Hyderabad to Pune, young Indians are drawn to gatherings where classic mantras and bhajans are amplified through modern sound systems and striking stage lighting.
Space that might resemble an EDM show – with vibrant lights and thumping beats – instead resounds with chants to Krishna, Shiva, and Rama.
Event organisers say ticketed devotional nights are selling out as quickly as mid-tier club shows.
What was once confined to temples or family gatherings now unfolds in urban venues with concert-like energy: communal chants, crowds swaying in unison, and rhythms that feel as immersive as any mainstream music event.
This growing movement reflects deeper motivations among Gen Z, who are increasingly fatigued by consumerist nightlife, digital noise, and performative pleasure, noted IndiaToday.
Instead of chasing drink-induced highs, many young people are seeking grounding, belonging, emotional regulation, and meaning.
In this context, devotion becomes a communal beat – a way to connect, breathe and feel part of something larger than oneself.
Psychologists and cultural commentators point to mental health stressors and the generation’s self-aware nature as key factors.
Young adults today face economic instability, pandemic aftershocks, intense competition, and relentless online comparison.
Spiritual practices like collective chanting and bhajan clubbing offer emotional regulation, social connection, and a sense of collective purpose – qualities that resonate deeply in a digitally saturated world.
Bhajan clubbing isn’t just a fad; it’s part of a broader cultural correction. Devotional music and ancient mantras are being remixed into social experiences that bridge tradition and modernity.
A DJ might mix Sanskrit shlokas with deep bass; sibling duos host devotional jam sessions; and crowds vibrate together to “Hare Krishna Govind Hare Murari“ with the same energy once reserved for mainstream concerts.
Some events now routinely draw thousands, proving that this blend of devotion, rhythm, and community has struck a chord.
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17 Dec 2025 18:26
