In a 34-second clip from Rishikesh, the chanter Nina Rao sings a single devotional refrain again and again: "Sita Ram, Jai Sita Ram." The clip is brief, but it carries a clear idea. It is an invitation to an evening of kirtan on 19 October, and the chanting is tied directly to a cause, with part of the proceeds supporting the protection of India's forests and wild tigers.
The clip's transcript is almost entirely two phrases in Devanagari, सीताराम and जय सीताराम. "Sita Ram" names Sita and Rama, the divine couple at the heart of the Ramayana, and "Jai" means victory or hail. Repeating the name is the practice itself. In kirtan, the words are kept deliberately few so the mind can stop chasing meaning and settle into the sound. The clip shows that rhythm plainly: the phrase returns, the musical texture rises and falls around it, and a moment of singing voices comes through the mix. Framed as background on kirtan generally rather than as something this clip spells out, the form is communal. A short name is returned to over and over, and a room sings it together rather than watching it performed.
The event description makes the second half of the idea explicit. The evening runs from 6:00 to 9:30 PM at Anand Prakash Ashram in Rishikesh. Part of the proceeds support GoDharmic's Dharma Forest initiative, through which, the description says, "we have already planted 375,000+ trees in the Sundarbans." The Sundarbans is a large mangrove region in the Ganges delta, shared by India and Bangladesh and known for its tigers. That is why the concert pairs sacred sound with forest and wildlife protection. Tickets are limited, and registration is handled through the event page.
For dates, registration, and Nina Rao's other upcoming events, visit the concert page at https://www.ninaraochant.com/events/2026/10/19/rishikesh-india-sacred-music-for-sacred-forests-concert. Her site at ninaraochant.com is the place to follow what comes next.
