Devala Griffith

I was born in the United States, but raised in West Bengal, India. I grew up in a village called Mayapur located on the banks of the Ganges river where my dad started a school and where we spent the next 16 years. There, I learnt Indian, classical music and ancient Sanskrit together with the study of the Vedic scriptures. I lived the minimalist lifestyle of a monk during my high-school years, residing in a hut with a cow, a few basic belongings, a shaven head, and an austere schedule: We used to wake up at 3:30 am, take a cold bath outside even in the frigid winters, and attend the morning prayers at the local Mayapur temple. During this time, I learnt the art and culture of Kirtan while performing with many renowned kirtaniyas like Aindra, Kamal Gopal, Lokanath Swami, and Radhanath Swami. Since I moved back to the States at age 18, I have been involved in teaching kirtan online to students around the world. The school I run is called Mridanga Studios (https://www.mridangastudios.com) based in of Alachua, Florida; we teach Mridanga, Harmonium, Kartal, and Bansuri online.