International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

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Conceptualising a Performance Documentation Framework for Kirtan: An Inductive Methodological Approach through Comparative Performance Analysis

Author(s) Sangeetacharya Vrushali Dabke, Dr. Prashant Kumar Dash
Country India
Abstract Maharashtra Kirtan represents one of India’s significant living performance traditions, integrating devotional literature, music, philosophy, oral narration, rhythm, dramatic communication, embodied expression and collective participation into a unified performative experience. Although Kirtan has received considerable scholarly attention from literary, philosophical, musicological, religious and historical perspectives, relatively limited attention has been devoted to the systematic documentation of Kirtan as a live and multidimensional performance event. Existing documentation frequently preserves textual, musical or theological content, while the performative processes through which knowledge is communicated, interpreted, embodied and collectively experienced remain inconsistently recorded.

This methodological gap creates challenges for comparative research, archival preservation and interdisciplinary analysis. Observations made by different researchers are often shaped by their respective disciplinary orientations, resulting in fragmented documentation and limited comparability across performances. Addressing this concern, the present study proposes a conceptual Kirtan Performance Documentation Framework (KPDF) developed through a qualitative and inductive methodological approach. The framework emerged from comparative analysis of four devotional performance case studies: Naradiya Kirtan presentations by H.B.P. Muralidharbuva Nijampurkar and H.B.P. Milindbuva Badve; a Warkari Kirtan presentation by H.B.P. Balkrishna Maharaj Vasantgadkar; and a practice-based Kathak–Kirtan performance experiment titled Shabari. The performances were not compared to determine stylistic superiority or artistic merit. Instead, they were analysed to identify recurring performative dimensions requiring systematic documentation.

The comparative process generated seven interrelated domains: performance metadata, performance architecture, performative communication, musical and rhythmic organisation, audience participation and collective experience, embodied performance and interpretative research notes. The proposed KPDF is conceptualised as a flexible, non-evaluative research methodology rather than a fixed checklist or performance-assessment instrument. The study makes an original methodological contribution by proposing a documentation framework specifically designed for Maharashtra Kirtan as a living performance tradition. It also establishes a foundation for future empirical validation, interdisciplinary application and heritage documentation.
Keywords Keywords: Kirtan, performance documentation, Performance Studies, Indian performing arts, intangible cultural heritage, comparative performance analysis, oral traditions, KPDF.
Field Arts
Published In Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On 2026-07-18
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.84015
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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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