The Alvars, the early Bhakti saints of Tamil Nadu, were devotees of:

The Alvars were Tamil poet-saints who were devotees of Lord Vishnu (and his avatars, such as Krishna and Rama).

About the Alvars:

• "Alvar" means "those who are immersed" (in devotion to Vishnu).
• They lived in Tamil Nadu between about the 6th and 9th centuries CE.
• Traditionally, there are 12 Alvars.
• They came from different castes, including Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Shudras, and even groups considered "untouchable" (such as Tiruppan Alvar).
• NCERT notes that the Alvars and the Nayanars came from all castes, and that some of them challenged the caste system.
• They travelled from place to place, singing hymns in Tamil in praise of Vishnu at temples.
• They spread the idea of bhakti (personal devotion) to God, open to all, regardless of caste or gender.

Important Alvars:

• Andal: the only woman Alvar; she composed the "Tiruppavai" and "Nachiyar Tirumozhi", expressing her love for Vishnu as a bride.
• Nammalvar: one of the greatest Alvars; his "Tiruvaymoli" is considered the Tamil Veda.
• Periyalvar: Andal's foster father.
• Tirumangai Alvar: a former chieftain.

The Nalayira Divya Prabandham:

• The hymns of the Alvars were compiled in the 10th century by Nathamuni into the "Nalayira Divya Prabandham" ("Four Thousand Sacred Compositions").
• It is regarded as the "Tamil Veda", as important as the Sanskrit Vedas for Tamil Vaishnavas.
• The hymns are still sung in Vishnu temples, such as Srirangam.

Influence:

• The Bhakti movement in Tamil Nadu later spread to other parts of India.
• The philosophy of Ramanuja (11th-12th century) was influenced by the Alvars' devotion.
• The Alvars and the Nayanars criticised Buddhism and Jainism, and contributed to their decline in Tamil Nadu.

Shaiva saints:

The Shaiva saints of Tamil Nadu, devotees of Shiva, were a separate group of 63 saints.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Devotees of Shiva formed a different group of Tamil saints.
• ✗The Alvars did not worship Shakti or the Jain Tirthankaras.