An “unbroken recitation” is called an Akhand. Individuals may conduct such recitations for their personal advantage or pay someone else to do it for them.
- The advantages of this activity are said to stem from the holy text's perceived potency.
- The recitation may be conducted as a pious deed or as part of a festival observance.
- It may also be used as a last option in times of grave crises or as a religious act after a death in the family.
The Ramcharitmanas, a sixteenth-century poet-saint Tulsidas' rendition of the Ramayana, is one of the works often repeated without interruption.
The Adigranth is performed in the Sikh community.
