the band are known for their interest in traditional indian music, culture, and mysticism, with a number of their most famous songs, including "tattva" and "govinda", featuring lyrics written in sanskrit. the name kula shaker was itself inspired by king kulasekhara, an indian king from the 9th century. in addition, many of the band's songs feature traditional indian instruments, such as the sitar, tamboura, and tabla, juxtaposed with guitar-heavy, western rock instrumentation. despite achieving commercial success, kula shaker were unpopular with many critics, with "the observer"'s simon price describing them in 2014 as a "joke band".