The Path of Devotion

First Created: May 15, 2001
Page Last Updated: February 17, 2024

Bhakti (from bhaj in Sanskrit, to revere): Devotion, intense personal attachment to God; in Hindu philosophy and thought, Bhakti is one of the ways to reach God; also the name of an important religious and social movement in medieval India that propagated Bhakti.

Introduction to Bhakti

To understand the many fascinating aspects of Indian culture and life, one must understand the role of devotion in India. Devotion is perhaps the only thing that binds the people of India, superceding such barriers as languages, caste of birth, religious beliefs, and racial diversity.

Sometime in medieval India., a new religious movement broke out in India that emphasized the devotion to God, as sole means of salvation. Collectively known as the Bhakti Movement, it left a very profound impact on the life and culture of Indians in the subsequent centuries. 

In this section at Kamat's Potpourri, Dr. Jyotsna Kamat documents the biographies of some of the important proponents of The Path of Devotion.

An (evolving) accompanying study guide, Appeasing God will explore this topic in detail with personal anecdotes, and a pictorial exhibition.

-Ed.

Devotion or Bhakti Movement of India

List of Pictures

Introduction | Important Proponents | Pictures
Alvars | Shankara |Bridal Devotion | The Alvars | Ramanuja | Madhva | Ravidas
Meerabai | Guru Nanak | Chaitanya | Purandaradas
Ramananda | Kabir | Tukaram | Kanakadas

See Also: