Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik | What Tantra and Bhakti poems tell us about medieval India
Indian Express·2h ago·Neutral
What Happened
Medieval Indian poetry reveals two distinct traditions. Charyapada, composed by Buddhist tantric teachers between 8th-12th centuries in eastern India, uses coded symbolic language to conceal mystical teachings. Tamil Bhakti poetry from 6th-9th centuries openly expresses devotion to Hindu deities using established literary conventions. Charyapada reflects village life and forest monasteries, while Bhakti poetry celebrates temples and sacred geography across Tamil Nadu.
Key Entities
CharyapadaBuddhist tantric teachers (siddhas)Tamil Bhakti poetryAlvar-Nayanar poetsLuipadaAndalDevdutt PattanaikEastern IndiaSouth IndiaNalayira Divya PrabandhamTevaram