Editing Indian religions (section)

===== Bhakti =====
{{Main|Bhakti movement|Alwars|Nayanars}}

The [[Bhakti movement]] began with the emphasis on the worship of God, regardless of one's status – whether priestly or laypeople, men or women, higher social status or lower social status. The movements were mainly centered on the forms of Vishnu ([[Rama]] and [[Krishna]]) and Shiva. There were however popular devotees of this era of [[Durga]].{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} The best-known proponents of this movement were the [[Alvars]] and the [[Nayanars]] from southern India. The most popular Shaiva teacher of the south was [[Basava]], while of the north it was [[Gorakhnath]].{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} Female saints include figures like [[Akka Mahadevi|Akkamadevi]], [[Lalleshvari]] and [[Molla (poet)|Molla]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The Alvars ({{langx|ta|ஆழ்வார்கள்}}, ''āḻvārkaḷ'' {{IPA|ta|aːɻʋaːr|}}, those immersed in god) were the [[Tamil people|Tamil]] poet-saints of south India, who lived between the 6th and 9th centuries CE and espoused "emotional devotion" or [[bhakti]] to Vishnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mahavidya.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Nippard-Andrea-The-Alvars-Yes.pdf |title=The Alvars |author=Andrea Nippard |access-date=20 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001609/http://www.mahavidya.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Nippard-Andrea-The-Alvars-Yes.pdf |archive-date=3 December 2013}}</ref> The most popular Vaishnava teacher of the south was [[Ramanuja]], while of the north it was [[Ramananda]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Several important icons were women. For example, within the Mahanubhava sect, the women outnumbered the men,<ref>Ramaswamy, P. 204 ''Walking Naked''</ref> and administration was many times composed mainly of women.<ref>Ramaswamy, P. 210 ''Walking Naked''</ref> Mirabai is the most popular female saint in India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mirabai |url=https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780195399318/obo-9780195399318-0070.xml |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=obo |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-03 |title=Mira Bai {{!}} Hindu Mystic Poet, Devotee of Krishna {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mira-Bai |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

[[Vallabha|Sri Vallabha Acharya]] (1479–1531) is a very important figure from this era. He founded the [[Shuddhadvaita|Shuddha Advaita (''Pure Non-dualism'')]] school of Vedanta thought.

According to ''The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training'',

{{blockquote|Vaishanava bhakti literature was an all-India phenomenon, which started in the 6th–7th century A.D. in the Tamil-speaking region of South India, with twelve Alvar (one immersed in God) saint-poets, who wrote devotional songs.  The religion of [[Alvar]] poets, which included a woman poet, Andal, was devotion to God through love (bhakti), and in the ecstasy of such devotions they sang hundreds of songs which embodied both depth of feeling and felicity of expressions.<ref group=web>[http://ccrtindia.gov.in/literaryarts.htm The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, ''Indian Literature Through the Ages''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515213735/http://ccrtindia.gov.in/literaryarts.htm |date=15 May 2013}}</ref>}}