About Us

ॐ 

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, 

Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, 

Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Our History

One afternoon in January 2022 - two years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic - six community members received a call from a fellow community member. The community member was excited to speak to them and share their vision for the UK Sankirtan community. They wanted the UK to experience and benefit spiritually from a first of its kind event: a national Ashtaprahar Sankirtan Music Festival in 2022. From that initial impassioned phone call, they were all fully onboard, engaged, and committed to make this event a success and assist in propagating the principles ordained by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.  So, on 17 January 2022, they hosted their very first Sankirtan community 'Town Hall' and with Lord Krishna's grace and blessings; as well as the utmost support from the UK Sankirtan community: 'SankirtanFest' was born.  

Our Purpose

SankirtanFest is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation and our purpose is to advance the Hindu religion in the UK through the medium of Sankirtan. A spiritual artform that originates back to 15th century Bengal, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ('Mahaprabhu' - who is revered as a Saint in the Sankirtan community) took part in Sankirtan on the streets of Bengal, and reconnected the masses to their love and devotion for Lord Krishna.

Through the grace of Lord Krishna, his blessings, and taking Mahaprabhu's principles as our 'modus operandi' - through our events and activities - we want to, for the benefit of the public: 

• Propagate Mahaprabhu's principles involving the utmost devotion to Lord Krishna, the respect of all living beings, and to accept all peoples irrespective of caste, creed, gender, sexual orientation, and social standing.

• Propagate Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan movement through Sankirtan festivals and activities, such as:

• • • Ashtaprahar, Mahasankirtan;

    • Udoy Astha Mahasankirtan; and

    • Dance, drama, music, recitations, talks, and debates.

• Encourage and assist with the development of Sankirtan artists and the artform in general.

• Introduce Sankirtan devotees to key ‘flavours’ of Sankirtan during music festivals and events, such as: traditional UK groups, groups from Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh), as well as contemporary and modern forms of Sankirtan and youth Sankirtan.

• Develop the future Sankirtan community through hosting Sankirtan based workshops to further the Sankirtan artform. But in addition, we also want to host Sankirtan festival management workshops to ensure future generations have the capability, know-how, and confidence to deliver Sankirtan festivals themselves

• Promote the wellbeing aspects associated with partaking in Sankirtan.

• Ensure that those in need (especially the homeless) in close proximity to our events, do not go without food and we will be distributing wholesome prasadam to them

Your Project Management Office ('PMO')

Your PMO team is carefully selected with members representing different corners of the UK, with skills in event management, event finance, fundraising, and Gaudiya Vaishanva principles. Ultimately, your PMO team are here to serve you and the community.

Contact: info@sankirtanfest.org