Bhakti is said to be a Marg or path that is the most important in Kaliyuga to attain the divine. It is not merely devotion but the purest form of prayer where the devotee connects with his/her Ishtadevata. This form of prayer requires no customs and rituals which makes it easy and preferred by devotees irrespective of their financial status.

History of Bhakti movement

The Bhakti Movement was a reformation movement that sought to help individuals discover the best way to devote themselves to a Devi or Devata of their choice. It began in the southern regions of Bharat, in what is today Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and gradually spread throughout Bharat. Different poet-saints led the movement in various states, teaching people the significance of Bhakti or devotion, in other words surrendering themselves to Bhagwan.

A remarkable aspect of this movement was that the reformers communicated their teachings in simple and local languages, making the concepts easily understandable to everyone. The movement originated in South Bharat in the seventh century CE and later spread northward, eventually reaching Bengal in the fifteenth century. It reached its peak between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Bhakti saints and their contributions

The Bhakti Movement encompassed the main traditions of Shaiva, Shakta, Vaishnava, and Smarta. Some of the most prominent saints associated with this movement include the Alvars, Nayanars, Kabir, Tulsidas, Meera Bai, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Eknath, and Tukaram. These saints composed numerous works and developed diverse philosophies within Hindu Dharma’s Vedanta school, ranging from Dvaita (dualism) to Advaita (monism).

Hindu Dharma prescribes several Margs or paths for attaining Mukti (liberation), such as Karma Marg, Yoga Marg, and Bhakti Marg. Among these, Bhakti Marg is considered the easiest, as it does not require the rigorous sadhanas demanded by the others. Devotion (Bhakti) involves pleasing the deities through simple love, dedication, and surrender. The Bhakti saints popularized bhajans and kirtans as expressions of devotion. Their greatest achievement was reaching out to the masses in regional and everyday languages, allowing even those with little or no formal education to grasp spiritual concepts.

Importantly, the Bhakti saints belonged to various ‘castes,’ and women also played significant roles in spreading the movement, contributing to much-needed social and religious reform within Hindu Dharma. This movement gained momentum during a time when Islam and Christianity were making their presence felt in Bharat and challenging Hindu beliefs and practices.

In South Bharat, the Nayanmars (Shaivite/Shaiva saints) and Alvars (Vaishnavite/Vaishnava saints) led the movement. They traveled widely, spreading their message through devotional poetry composed in praise of Bhagwan Shiva and Bhagwan Vishnu, respectively. They emphasized that elaborate rituals or renouncing worldly life were unnecessary to attain the divine; instead, love, faith, and surrender were the true paths to Parabrahman.

In the West, saints like Meera Bai, Tukaram, Eknath, and Dnyaneshwar played key roles in advancing the Bhakti ideals. Similarly, in the East, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spread the movement’s message, while in the North, saints such as Tulsidas, Kabir, and Guru Nanak brought the masses closer to Parabrahman (Supreme Being) through their teachings.

One of the most profound contributions of the Bhakti Movement was its effort to restore Hindu Dharma to its Vedic roots. Over time, the originally flexible Varna system had become rigid, but the Bhakti saints blurred these divisions and united people on a common spiritual platform. Above all, the movement taught the importance of namajapa (the recitation of Devi/Bhagwan’s name) as the simplest and most direct way to attain moksha (liberation).

Undoubtedly, the Bhakti Movement also enriched Bharatiya literature by producing some of the finest works in vernacular languages, allowing even the least educated individuals to access spiritual philosophy and be inspired toward the path of devotion. Ultimately, the Bhakti saints gave true meaning to the Vedic phrase तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय (Lead me from darkness to light) by guiding people from ignorance toward enlightenment.

With the long series of festivities ending with Diwali, it is time for Bhakti Parva once again. It my opinion (based on my observation and experience) that there are two Parvas (periods of time) dedicated exclusively to Bhakti, even if we practice it throughout the year. The first is during Ashadha when Warkaris travel to Pandharpur and Shravan when Kanwariyas carry out the Kanwar Yatra. Shravan is a month for observing fasts, particularly for Shaivas and Smartas.

Shravan is followed by Bhadrapad which brings in numerous festivals, beginning with Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi, along with a 15-day period of Pitrupaksh in between dedicated to ancestor worship. Navratri and finally, Diwali/Deepawali draw the curtains on festive celebrations (although South, particularly TN, celebrates a couple of festivals). After Tulsi Vivah, the second phase/Bhakti Parva commences with Mandirs conducting Bhagavat Saptah and other Kathavachan (religious discourses) programs. As we enter Kartik Maas (month), Mumbai buzzes with Ayyappa Pujas dedicated to Bhagwan Ayyappa (obviously).

Bhagavat Kathas, Purana recitations, and bhajans take over the festive celebrations. Kerala even has an entire month dedicated to reading Ramayan. While even our festivals celebrate Devis/Devatas, Bhakti Parvas are meant to connect us to the divine through vrats, namajapa, bhajans, and Adhyayan of our Granthas.

I believe we should also learn and teach the life-stories of our Dharma Rakshaks, such as Chhatrapati Shivaji, Chhatrapati Sambhaji, Rana Sanga, Avanijanshray Pulakesi and others. Dharma Granthas will provide Dharmic rooting and Itihasa lessons will help us understand and formulate strategies to deal with Hinduphobics. Mandirs must also conduct lecture series to create awareness about modern issues faced by Hindus, including religious conversion (both Islamic and Evangelic), and love Jihad among others. They must also take initiative to conduct self-defense training so that Hindus are both physically and mentally prepared to face all challenges.