- Bhakti movement appealed to the masses due to its use of regional languages. Bhakti saints condemned the caste system and gave importance to women.
- Development of Bhakti movement took place in Tamil Nadu between the seventh and twelfth centuries. It was reflected in the emotional poems of the Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) and Alvars (devotees of Vishnu). These saints looked upon religion not as a cold formal worship but as a loving bond based upon love between the worshipped and worshipper. They wrote in local languages, Tamil and Telugu and were therefore able to reach out to many people.
Nayanars
They were a group of 63 Shaivite saints of Tamil Bhakti tradition. The most important among are
- Names of Nayanars were first compiled by Sundarar. The list was later expanded by Nambiyandar Nambi who expanded it to 63 during the reign of Rajaraja I.
- Tirumurai is a collection of 13 volumes which forms the canonical literature of Nayaranars (Tamil Shaivite Bhakti tradition). The first seven volume are collectively called Tevaram.
- Periya Puranam the last book contains hagiographies of all the 63 Nayanars poet-saints. Tirumarai was entirely collectively formalised in the written form during Chola rule by Nambiyandar Nambi.
- Tevaram denotes first 7 volumes of 12 volume collection of Tirumurai. It contains works of three of the most prominent Saiva Tamil poets of 7th and 8th centuries: Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar.
- Out of the 63 Nayanars Shaiva saints: Three were females, Karaikkal Ammaiyar being the most prominent.
- 12th century saw rise of Virashaivas or Lingayats in Karnataka who worshipped Shiva in his manifestation as a linga. They did not believe in the theory of rebirth, rejected caste hierarchy and advocated widow remarriage.
- Parachais were hagiographic narratives about the lives and deeds of individual Vaishnav and Shaivite saints. Best example of Parachai literature are narratives composed by Vaishnav hagiographer Anantdas at the end of 16th and early 17th century.
- Nathpanthis, Sidhacharas and Yogis questioned the authority of Vedas, criticized rituals, social order and used local language to win support. They condemned idolatry and preached monotheism.
Features of the Bhakti Movement
- Abandoned rituals and sacrifices
- Stressed the importance of maintaining a pure mindset, heart, humanism and devotion.
- Monotheistic (It refers to the belief in a single, all-powerful God, as opposed to polytheism, which involves the worship of multiple gods and goddesses).
- God has either Saguna (form) or be Nirguna (formless)
- Best form of worship is singing Bhajans and realization of God by personal effort.
Fig: Major Bhakti Saints and the regions associated with them