Bhakti Movement: Origin, Key Figures, and Significance
Deeksha Dixit27 Jun, 2025
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Bhakti Movement was a major religious and social reform movement in medieval India. It spans roughly from the 7th to the 17th century, emphasizing personal devotion (bhakti) to a single deity as the primary path to salvation. Bhakti Movement challenged the ritualistic practices and rigid caste hierarchies promoted by orthodox traditions. Read on to learn more about the Bhakti Movement!
Bhakti Movement in India
The Bhakti Movement was a major religious and cultural transformation in medieval Indian history. It began as a spiritual revolt against ritualistic practices and social discrimination, encouraging devotion (bhakti) to a personal god. Bhakti Movement emphasises love, equality, and humility over caste and rituals.
This movement originated in South India with the Alvars (devotees of Vishnu) and Nayanars (devotees of Shiva), and later spread across India from the 7th to the 17th century, shaping Indian society and literature. The Bhakti Sufi movement united people from different backgrounds through a shared spiritual language of love and devotion.
Saints, poets, and philosophers used regional languages to spread messages of unity. Their songs and verses became a powerful tool of reform in medieval India.
Origin of the Bhakti Movement
The Bhakti movement time period is broadly from the 7th to the 17th century, though different regions experienced it differently. It was a response to both Brahmanical orthodoxy and rising foreign influence, making it one of the most powerful medieval Indian movements.
The Bhakti movement was started by Tamil poet-saints called Alvars (devotees of Vishnu) and Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) in South India around the 7th century. These early saints travelled village to village, singing devotional hymns and rejecting caste-based social divisions.
By the 13th century, the movement spread to North India, influenced by Islamic Sufi mysticism. The teachings of Sufis about divine love merged with Bhakti ideals. Saints like Kabir and Guru Nanak questioned religious orthodoxy and idol worship, uniting Hindus and Muslims under one spiritual roof.
Types of Bhakti Movement
The Bhakti Movement in India is primarily categorized into two main types based on the nature of devotion towards God:
1. Saguna Bhakti
Saguna Bhakti is devotion to a personal God with attributes and form (saguna means "with qualities"). It involves worship of deities such as Vishnu, Shiva, or forms of the Goddess (Devi), often represented in anthropomorphic forms.
Examples of Saguna Bhakti traditions include the Vaishnavite Alvars and the Shaivite Nayanars. It was followed by Tulsidas, Mirabai, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramanuja, and others.
2. Nirguna Bhakti
Nirguna Bhakti is devotion to a formless, abstract, and attributeless God (nirguna means "without qualities"). It focuses on a universal, all-pervading divine reality, beyond physical forms or images.
Nirguna Bhakti often criticized idol worship and ritualism, emphasizing direct, personal experience of the divine. It was followed by saints like Kabir, Guru Nanak, Sant Ravidas, Dadu Dayal, and others.
Key Features of Bhakti Movement
The Bhakti movement encouraged an emotional and direct connection between the devotee and God. Here are the key features of this movement:
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Promoted Personal Devotion: The Bhakti Movement encouraged individuals to connect directly with God, rejecting priestly control and ritual-based worship.
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Used Local Languages: Saints wrote and sang in regional languages like Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi, making spiritual teachings easy to understand.
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Included All Communities: The movement welcomed people from all castes, including women and the marginalized, promoting unity and equality.
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Spread Through Traveling Preachers: Bhakti saints traveled widely to share their message, building a strong grassroots spiritual movement.
Famous Saints of the Bhakti Movement
Several Bhakti poets and saints became household names for their teachings, poems, and songs. They used regional languages, making spiritual ideas accessible to common people. Below are some of the key figures from different regions of India:
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Appar, Sambandar, and Manikkavachakar: Devotees of Lord Shiva, key Nayanars.
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Alvars (7th century): Poets like Andal and Nammalvar, devoted to Lord Vishnu.
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Ramanuja (11th century): Philosopher and theologian who propagated the Vishishtadvaita philosophy and devotion to Lord Vishnu.
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Ravidas: A Dalit saint who promoted social equality.
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Shankaracharya (8th-9th century): Revived Advaita Vedanta and emphasized knowledge and devotion to Nirguna Brahman.
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Nimbarka and Madhva: Important Vaishnavite philosophers and saints.
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Ramananda (14th century): North Indian saint who emphasized devotion accessible to all castes.
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Vallabhacharya (15th-16th century): Popularized Krishna devotion, especially in Telangana; his disciple Surdas spread Krishna bhakti in North India.
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Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534): Bengali saint who popularized Krishna bhakti and the Sankirtan tradition of devotional singing and dancing.
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Kabir (15th century): Mystic poet-saint who preached a formless God and social equality; followers called Kabirpanthis.
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Guru Nanak (1469–1539): Founder of Sikhism, emphasized devotion to one God and social equality.
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Mirabai (1498–1546): Rajput princess and poetess devoted to Krishna, known for her devotional songs.
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Tulsidas (1532–1623): Author of Ramcharitmanas, a devotional epic on Lord Rama.
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Surdas (1478–1580): Devotee of Krishna and poet who composed in Brajbhasha.
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Narsinh Mehta (15th century): Gujarati saint known for devotional songs on Radha-Krishna; his bhajan was a favorite of Mahatma Gandhi.
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Jnaneshwar (1275–1296) and Namdev (1270–1350): Marathi saints of the Varkari tradition who emphasized devotion through songs and rejected caste distinctions.
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Dadu Dayal (1544–1603): Saint from Gujarat promoting non-sectarian devotion; followers called Dadupanthis.
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Tukaram (1608–1650) and Ramdas (1608–1681): Marathi saints who contributed to devotional literature and social reform.
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Guru Arjun Dev (1581–1606) and other Sikh Gurus: Known for compiling Sikh scriptures and shaping Sikhism as a devotional and social movement.
Impact of Bhakti Movement
Here are some key contributions of the Bhakti Movement:
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Promoted Equality: The Bhakti saints rejected the varna system and promoted a casteless society. They believed God resides in every being, regardless of caste, gender, or status.
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Use of Vernacular Languages: Instead of Sanskrit or Persian, saints used regional languages like Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Punjabi. This made spiritual ideas accessible to common people and enriched Indian literature.
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Bridged Hindu-Muslim Divide: By promoting devotion over orthodoxy, the Bhakti Sufi movement helped reduce communal tensions. Saints like Kabir and Guru Nanak addressed both communities, promoting universal brotherhood.
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Women Participation: Women like Meera Bai and Andal broke gender barriers, showing that devotion was open to all. This gave women a voice in spiritual and social life.
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Religious Reform: The movement challenged ritualism, idol worship, and religious control by priests. It was a major force behind religious reform movements in India.
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Influence on Sikhism and Other Movements: The teachings of Guru Nanak and other saints influenced the formation of Sikhism. Later reform movements like Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj were inspired by Bhakti ideals.
Bhakti Movement UPSC PYQsUPSC Prelims 2012: With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the Sufi mystics were known to pursue which of the following practices? 1. Meditation and control of breath. 2. Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place. 3. Recitation of holy songs to arouse a state of ecstasy in their audience Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 UPSC Prelims 2013: Consider the following Bhakti Saints: 1. Dadu Dayal 2. Guru Nanak 3. Tyagaraja Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over? (a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 only (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 2 UPSC Prelims 2014: Consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
UPSC Mains 2021:Evaluate the nature of the Bhakti Literature and its contribution to Indian culture. |
In essence, the Bhakti Movement laid the foundation for an inclusive and compassionate society. It also played a key role in India’s cultural unity. Hence, for students preparing for the Bhakti Movement for the UPSC exam, understanding its broad impact is essential.
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