[4] 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.

[1][8] Despite achieving commercial success, Kula Shaker were unpopular with some critics, with The Observer's Simon Price describing them in 2014 as a "joke band".

During this period, Crispian and Alonza were also responsible for running the Mantra Shack, a psychedelic nightclub at the back of Richmond ice rink,[1][16] and consequently, the Objects of Desire would often perform at the venue.

In May 1995, Mills suggested that the band take the name Kula Shaker, in honour of one of the twelve Alvars (saints of south India), the ninth-century Indian emperor and holy man, King Kulashekhara.

[7] Mills also posited that Kula Shaker's music should follow a more spiritual and mystical direction in future, in line with his own growing interest in the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

This new emphasis on Indian mysticism and instrumentation, dovetailed with the Beatlesque, 1960s derived influences already present in the band's music, to create a sound heavily indebted to 1960s psychedelia.

Music press and public alike finally began to take notice of the band, and this sudden exposure propelled the re-released (and re-recorded) "Tattva" to No.

The band's upward climb continued with their third single "Hey Dude", a more traditional rock song which was only kept off the top spot by the Spice Girls when it was released in August.

In the wake of the single's release, some ill-advised remarks on the traditional mystical properties of Swastikas by Crispian Mills was criticised by the British Press.

After initial disagreements with management, Kula Shaker resurfaced with the UK-only single "Sound of Drums" in April 1998, peaking at number 3.

The second album Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts was partly recorded aboard the houseboat-studio Astoria, which belongs to guitarist David Gilmour (of Pink Floyd).

Prior to the release of their second album, the band became the subject of controversy surrounding remarks that Mills had made in the NME and Melody Maker, regarding the swastika, calling it a "brilliant image" albeit in the context of its traditional Indian origins.

[2] The Independent on Sunday ran a front page article in April 1997 reprinting Mills' comments and alleging that the guitarist "had dabbled with Nazism".

[2] The Independent article also revealed that the Objects of Desire had used the motto "England will rise again",[20] and had performed at a 1993 conference at Wembley called "Global Deception" at which speakers included renowned conspiracy theorists Eustace Mullins and William Cooper.

"[22] Mills' lyrics include themes of unity in diversity ("Tattva"),[23] spiritual devotion ("Govinda") and global peace ("Great Hosannah").

Later that year, he toured with a group of musicians under the name Pi, first supporting Robbie Williams on his UK Arena dates, then for some smaller headline shows.

The compilation included the band's final recorded track, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man", which was later featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 movie Stoned, starring Leo Gregory.

The sessions for the track went so well that Mills and Bevan began writing together again and making plans for a full-on Kula Shaker comeback that would encompass live touring and the further release of new material.

As a joke about the nature of secret gigs, Mills told the assembled crowd that the band was called The Garcons whilst wearing a "big hair" grey wig.

It was produced in collaboration with an all-star team of hit makers and Grammy winners, including Tchad Blake (Peter Gabriel, Crowded House), Sam Williams (Supergrass) and Chris Sheldon (The Foo Fighters, The Pixies).

The band then rounded off the tour commitments for the year with two final performances in November, one at Leicester University and another at The Netherlands' Crossing Borders festival.

A successful tour of the Far East followed with a number of festival dates across Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea and Hong Kong.

On 28 September 2015 the band announced they are returning in 2016 with a European tour and new album titled K 2.0, releasing two teasers of a track named "Mountain Lifter" then a song called "Infinite Sun".

The band's sixth album, 1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs, was released on 10 June 2022 and was preceded by the single "The Once and Future King".

[26] In 2023, the band embarked on a world tour including stops in the UK, Japan, the U.S. and Canada and debuted new material from their upcoming seventh studio album.

The new songs that were performed were "Waves", "Gaslighting", "I Don't Wanna Pay My Taxes", "Indian Record Player" and "Natural Magick".

[27] On July 28, 2023, Kula Shaker released "Waves" as their new single and announced additional tour dates in Germany, Belgium and France.

On 13 April, 2024 Kula Shaker released the double A-side single "Rational Man/Bringing it Back Home" to support their upcoming tour.

Although Kula Shaker's sound owes a lot to the classic rock bands of 1960s and 1970s, the songs often combine Eastern-influenced sonics ("Govinda") with lyrical themes of a universal spirituality quest, employing ideas of soul and devotion from diverse traditions such as Hinduism ("Tattva"), to Christianity ("Great Hosannah") and even Native American Indian ("Infinite Sun").

Noel Gallagher was an early champion of the band, inviting them to support at Oasis' historic Knebworth concerts, but from the outset of their career, Kula Shaker polarised UK media opinion.