Style and Patronage in Marathi Kīrtana

Abstract

Anna Schultz explores the aesthetic forms and socio-economic infrastructures of Marathi kīrtana, focusing on how performance style, religious identity, and patronage systems are dynamically interwoven. Drawing on fieldwork among contemporary performers from the Vārkarī and Nāth traditions, Schultz traces how kīrtankārs navigate complex expectations around spiritual authority, poetic delivery, and musical ornamentation. She examines the layered structure of a typical kīrtana—comprising scriptural explication, moral tales, and devotional songs—and shows how performers modulate their styles to suit both rural listeners and elite urban sponsors. Particular attention is given to caste dynamics and the role of institutional patronage, from state-backed cultural initiatives to private religious trusts, which shape the sustainability and visibility of certain kīrtana traditions over others. Schultz argues that style itself becomes a site of theological negotiation and social mobility, revealing how kīrtana functions not only as performance but also as commentary on changing notions of bhakti, professionalism, and cultural legitimacy in modern Maharashtra.