Rishikesh: Krishna Das performed Kirtan in Hanuman Temple, keeps coming to India in the name of his Guru

Manoj Rautela Reports:

Rishikesh: World famous vocalist Krishna Das living in America has reached India. On reaching Rishikesh, he first performed kirtan at the temple of his spiritual guru Neem Karauli Baba at IDPL Canal Gate on Saturday. After that tomorrow also he has programs at many places. Whenever he comes to India, he definitely goes to his Guru’s temple. In such a situation, on Saturday, first of all, he meditated in the Hanuman temple located on Haridwar Road. After that did kirtan. Foreigners and many devotees of India had reached with him. Let us tell you, Krishna Das who was born as Jeffrey Kegel. On May 31, 1947. He is an American singer, known for performing Hindu devotional music known as kirtan (chanting of the names of God). He has released seventeen albums since 1996. They performed at the 2013 Grammy Awards, where their album Live Bliss (2012) was nominated for the 2013 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. He has been described by the New York Times as the “chant master of American yoga”.

Krishna Das remained engrossed in meditation-
Let us tell you that Krishna Das reached the Hanuman temple around 11 am. After that he sat alone in meditation in the temple. After that he was seen engrossed in the harmonium with the devotees singing kirtan. During this, devotees from India as well as foreigners were seen with him. During this, devotees from many countries had reached to listen to his kirtan.

Who is Krishna Das–
Krishna Das (born Jeffrey Cagel; May 31, 1947) is an American singer known for performing Hindu devotional music known as kirtan (chanting of the names of God). He has released seventeen albums since 1996. They performed at the 2013 Grammy Awards, where their album Live Bliss (2012) was nominated for the 2013 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. He has been described by the New York Times as “the Chant Master of American Yoga”.

Biography–
In June 1967, a small group of high school and college students on Long Island formed a rock band that eventually became Blue Oyster Cult. For a short time, Jeff Cagel, a student at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, was the band’s lead singer, but he left. Krishna Das traveled to India in August 1970, [3] where, as Ram Das had done, he became a devotee of the Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji). He was recognized as the “Rockstar of Yoga” by the Grammys. was referenced when he was nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award. The name of Krishna Das has been associated with many other artists. Two of their albums featured Hans Christian as a guest multi-instrumentalist, and Sting appears on the album Pilgrim Heart. He also appeared on an album with Baird Hersey & Pran, a group of western music and overtone vocals, titled Gathering in the Light. Steely Dan’s Walter Becker plays bass guitar and co-produced All One (2010), which also features Def Leppard’s Rick Allen on drums and Steve Gorn on flute. Ty Burhoe plays tabla on several albums. Rick Rubin produced Breath of the Heart. His album Live Ananda (2012) was nominated for the 2013 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. He also performed at the Grammy Awards ceremony. In April 2014, his album Kirtan Wala was released under his own label Krishna Das Music. In 2014, Krishna Das helped form the Kirtan Wala Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the teachings of his spiritual teacher, Neem Karoli Baba.

Anuswar Yoga call-
At the request of John Friend, the founder of Anuswara Yoga, Krishna Das composed the raga for the Anuswara Yoga invocation, Om Namah Shivaya Guruve. Friend describes the piece as being written during a summer night in 1998 at a secluded mountain retreat center in Utah.

Zen peacemakers chant-
In the early 2000s, Zen Peacemakers founder Bernie Glassman asked Krishna Das to compose a melody for the Gates of Sweet Nectar mantra, a traditional Japanese Buddhist mantra that was translated into English by Glassman. After composing a raga Krishna Das realized that it would work well with the Hanuman Chalisa both melodically and lyrically as the former is the desire to offer one’s heart and the latter gives strength to accomplish a task. Pic Credit: Anand and some matter from Internet