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who were the alvars?
Alvars were saints devoted to Vishnu. The 7th to 9th centuries saw the emergence of new religious movements, led by the Alvars who came from all castes including those considered “untouchable” like the Pulaiyar and the Panars. They were sharply critical of the Buddhists and Jains and preached ardent love of Vishnu as the path to salvation. They drew upon the ideals of love and heroism as found in the Sangam  and blended them with the values of bhakti. The Alvars went from place to place composing exquisite poems in praise of the deities enshrined in the villages they visited, and set them to music.


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