From YouTube stars to psy trance DJs, music creators ride on Lord Shiva's mass appeal

What used to be a mood elevator for the Kavadiyas in the holy month of Sawan (July 14 to August 12 this year) has gone mainstream, garnering hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, making pop stars out of singers who were known only to the devout, or were just voices whose names did not interest Shiva devotees making their way to Haridwar.

Lord Shiva, in his Nataraja avatar, is the god of dance and the dramatic arts, but for creators of the new genre of music inspired by the cosmic dancer, chanting the god's name ensures instant Internet stardom. Check out the makers of 'Har Har Shambhu Shiva Mahadeva', which has garnered 100 million YouTube views (and counting!).

Abhilipsa Panda is a Karate black belt and national-level champion, and a winner of the Odisha Super Singer contest, and Jeetu Sharma is a rising YouTube star who has been making a living off the music-sharing site since 2020. Together, they have spun out a sensation produced at Jamshedpur studio.

But they are not alone. Here is the selection of the five Shiva songs that are trending the Internet.

Nirvana Shatakam

The track has been created by the Sadhguru-inspired Sounds of Isha from the chant that goes back to Adi Shankara. It embodies the essence of 'vairagya', or renunciation of worldly pleasures, or the path of Brahmacharya.

The Nirvana Shatakam's six verses are inspired by the philosophy that attachment to one's corporeal body and the pleasure of the sense organs is the root cause of all sorrow and needs to be abandoned to achieve self-realisation.

Shiva Kailasho Ke Vaasi

This intensely devotional song has been composed by Hansraj Raghuwanshi in a downtempo progression. It makes good use of traditional instruments such as the tabla, bamboo flute and the manjeera. The lyrics talk about the blessings rendered by Lord Shiva to his followers.

The song appeals to a broad audience, mainly millennials, thanks to its rhythm and relatable lyrics. Interestingly, Raghuwanshi. who also features in the music video, has dreadlocks similar to those of Lord Shiva's 'jatayein'. Unsurprisingly, he's known among fans as 'Babaji'.

Om Namah Shivaya - Psy Trance Mix

The track, which is popular in the party circuit from Anjuna to Ibiza, takes the basic Lord Shiva mantra and gives it a psychedelic progressive spin. It has a limited fan following in India, but it finds audiences across the world, given its psychedelic appeal and not being hemmed in by any language barrier. Shiva is going global and this psy trance track is one of the most powerful drivers of the phenomenon.

Mera Bhola Hai Bhandari

Another favourite of the Internet, this one, too. has been composed by Hansraj Raghuwanshi in collaboration with Suresh Verma. The music video of the song, which fuses Hindi and Pahari lyrics, features exquisite locations across North India, including the snow-clad mountains. The song has been used in countless Instagram reels as well as TikTok and other short-format content that travels with lightning speed across the Internet.

Har Har Shambhu Shiva Mahadeva

Coming back to the song we started with, this Shiva 'stotra' has been crafted by using VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugins and presents an up-tempo progression as it uses elements of dubstep and hip-hop violins.