Alvars

The Alvars (Tamil: ஆழ்வார், romanized: Āḻvār, lit. 'The Immersed') were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused bhakti (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu through their songs of longing, ecstasy, and service. They are venerated in Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu as the Ultimate Reality. Traditional accounts list ten Alvars, though other references that include Andal and Madhurakavi Alvar, bringing the total to twelve. Together with the 63 contemporary Shaivite Nayanars, they are among the most important saints from Tamil Nadu. The Alvars are considered the twelve supreme devotees of Vishnu in Sri Vaishnavism and were instrumental in popularising Vaishnavism across Tamil-speaking regions. They were also influential in promoting the Bhagavata Sampradaya and the two Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The hymns of the Alvars are compiled as the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, a collection of 4,000 verses, and the 108 temples revered in their hymns are classified as Divya Desams. The verses of the Alvars were compiled by Nathamuni (824–924 CE), a 9th-century Vaishnavite theologian, who referred to the canon as the "Dravida Veda" or the "Tamil Veda". The songs of the Prabandham are regularly recited in various Vishnu temples across South India, both during daily rituals and during festivals.