Mantra radio: listen live, free, 24 hours a day
Mahakatha Radio is a free 24-hour mantra radio station. Shiva, Ganesha, Devi, Krishna and Om mantras, no ads, no sign-up. Press play and listen live.
Mahakatha Radio is a free mantra radio station that plays sacred chants all day and all night. There are no ads, no subscription and nothing to sign up for: open the page, press play, and you are listening to the same moment as everyone else tuned in. Listen live
What plays on Mahakatha Radio
The station draws on the Mahakatha library of about 310 mantra recordings. Shiva has the most (71), followed by Om chants (37), Krishna (28), Lakshmi, Ganesha and Durga (22 each), Rama (14), Saraswati (13), Navagraha and Hanuman (12 each), Buddha (9), Vishnu and Surya (8 each), Kali (7) and many more.
You will hear:
- Short mantras repeated in japa style, like Om Namah Shivaya or Om Gan Ganapataye Namah, good for sitting quietly or chanting along.
- Longer stotras and ashtakams, such as the Shiva Tandava Stotram, Lingashtakam or Madhurashtakam.
- Gayatri mantras for many deities, from Ganesha to Surya.
- Peace mantras from the Upanishads, like Asato Ma Sadgamaya and Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah.
- A few kirtans and bhajan-style chants, like Hare Krishna Hare Rama and Govinda Damodara.
Each recording comes with a line on what it is traditionally chanted for, so you know what you are listening to. The music changes with the time of day.
Prayer Requests, 7 am and 7 pm India time
Twice a day the station pauses for Prayer Requests. Listeners offer a prayer for someone they love, for healing, in memory of someone, or for a special day. Each prayer is written gently into a few lines of plain English, read aloud on air, and followed by a mantra chosen for that person. If you would like to offer one, see how to offer a prayer.
Two mantras you will often hear
Om Namah Shivaya
ॐ नमः शिवाय Om Namah Shivaya
"I bow to Shiva": a salutation and a way of asking for his blessing, beginning with Om, the sound considered the source of all consciousness. Traditionally chanted for a calm, steady mind. Mahakatha Radio plays Shiva mantras like this one, day and night. Listen on Mahakatha.
Gayatri Mantra
ॐ भूर् भुवः स्वः। तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि। धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्। Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah, Tatsaviturvarenyam, Bhargo Devasyadheemahi, Dhiyoyonnah Prachodayat
"We meditate on the most adorable light of the Sun, the essence of earth, space and heaven: may it awaken our understanding." A 24-syllable hymn from the Rigveda, traditionally chanted for concentration and courage. Listen on Mahakatha.
How it works
- Free. No fee to listen, ever. The station is kept running by listeners who offer prayers or support the station.
- No ads. Nothing interrupts a chant to sell you something.
- No sign-up, no app needed. It works in any browser, on a phone or a computer. Open mahakatharadio.com and press play.
- Live, not on demand. Everyone hears the same moment, like any radio. You cannot skip or choose a track, and that is the point: you let go of choosing and simply listen.
Mantra radio or a mantra playlist?
Both have their place. Here is an honest comparison.
A playlist or a YouTube loop is right when you want one particular mantra, for example the Gayatri Mantra 108 times for your morning japa, or a specific stotram you are learning. You control what plays and when.
A radio station is right when you want sacred sound in the background of your day without deciding anything. The chants change on their own, you meet mantras you would not have searched for, and there is a quiet sense of company in knowing others are listening to the same thing at the same moment. You can keep it on while cooking, working, driving or falling asleep.
If you want a specific mantra with its full lyrics and meaning, every recording on the station is on Mahakatha, our sister site. For the radio, there is nothing to choose: just listen live.
Ways to listen
- In the morning, as the house wakes up, in place of the news.
- During puja or meditation, at low volume, so the chant holds the room.
- While you work or study, as a calm background that has no lyrics to follow in your own language.
- At night, softly, if it helps you settle.
New to mantras? Start with what a mantra is, or try the Om meditation guide.
Questions people ask
What is mantra radio?
A radio station that plays only mantras and sacred chants, live, around the clock. Mahakatha Radio is one: free, ad-free and open to anyone with a browser.
Is Mahakatha Radio free?
Yes. There is no fee, no subscription and no sign-up. The station is supported by listeners who offer prayers on air or choose to support it.
Can I choose which mantra plays?
No. Like any radio, everyone hears the same thing at the same time. For a particular mantra, listen to it on Mahakatha, where each one has its own page with full lyrics and meaning.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It works in any modern browser, on a phone, tablet or computer. There is no app to install.
When are prayers read on air?
During Prayer Requests, every day at 7:00 am and 7:00 pm India time. Each prayer is followed by a mantra chosen for the person it is for.
Which deities' mantras does it play?
Shiva, Ganesha, Durga and the Devi, Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Hanuman, Vishnu, Surya, Kali, the Navagraha, Buddhist mantras and universal Om and peace chants.