From the very beginnings, harmoniums were made for devotional music: their small size and heart-warming tone make them ideal for personal and group use alike. Devotional chanting with a harmonium was widely popularized in the West by Paramhansa Yogananda, beginning with his arrival in America in 1920. At Carnegie Hall, New York, 1925, he led 3,000 souls in chanting "O God Beautiful," Yogananda's translation of Guru Nanak's song, "Hay Hari Sundara." Today, Yogananda's chants continue to bring deep inspiration to devotees all over the world. 

Just like human beings, each individually hand-crafted harmonium has its unique tonal personality: some are brighter, others are softer or more mellow; some are more bold and daring, others are more humble. These variances occur not only between different models, but between different instances of the same model.

Simple care instructions are included with each harmonium. With a little loving care, a harmonium will continue to play well for many years, even decades. Fortunately, most adjustments and corrections are easy to perform yourself. Details can be found in The Harmonium Handbook which we are happy to send along free of charge as part of your purchase.

Ananda India also offers periodic workshops on chanting and playing the harmonium, although the next one is not currently scheduled. Ananda also offers monthly kirtans where you can come and simply enjoy the power of devotional chanting with like-minded souls.  

All harmoniums include carrying case and instructions unless otherwise noted. We can also special-order any Bina model harmonium.