History & Civics
Explain briefly the role of Alvars and Nayanars in spreading Bhakti movement in south India.
Answer
The development of Bhakti Movement took place in South India between the seventh and ninth century. The Nayanars (the saints devoted to Shiva) and the Alvars (the saints devoted to Vishnu), preached the idea of bhakti as a means of salvation. They preached ardent love of Shiva or Vishnu as the path of salvation. They drew upon the ideals of love and heroism found in the Sangam literature and blended them with the idea of Bhakti. The Alvars were influential in promoting the Bhagvata cult the two Hindu epics, namely, Ramayana and Mahabharata. Nayanars were group of 63 saints who influenced the Bhakti movement in Tamil. The Alvars and Nayanars rejected the caste system and spread their message of love and personal devotion to God in different parts of South India by using the local languages. They went from place to place composing poems in praise of the deities.
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