During the reign of the Moghuls in India, the Bhakti movement in music gained momentum. One of the salient features of this movement was the singing of devotional songs popularly known as Bhajans. Indian culture holds a significant place for Bhajans mainly because it comprises of songs in appreciation of Gods and Goddesses. Most Bhajans were composed in Hindi and also in common regional languages of India such as Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Sanskrit etc. Bhajans helped masses of the India to come close to one another. It gave people a way and an approach to connect with God directly.
Most Bhajans recite an anecdote through words that are composed and fitted to a tune. These words preach the teachings of saints. Some of the popular saints that have advocated the use of Bhajans are Tulsidas, Kabir, Chaitanya, Haridas, Soordas, Mira, etc. Their songs are still sung today and they form an integral part Hinduism as a culture. Another word that is related to Bhajans is Kirtan. In Sikh language, these devotional songs are called kirtans. Kirtans recite the mantras in a musical tome from the rich Indian Vedas. Bhanjans have also been influenced from the Qawwalis which are devotional songs sung by the Sufi singers.
The musical instruments used in Bhajans are Tabla, Kartal (wooden clappers), Ektar (one-stringed lute), Nal (barrel-shaped drum), Dotar (two-stringed lute), Manjira (small hand cymbals), Dholak (barrel-shaped drum), Harmonium (hand-pumped organ) and Sitar (long-necked lute).