Andal and Akka Mahadevi
Two women. Two centuries apart. One unwavering path — the complete surrender of the self to the Divine.
Andal and Akka Mahadevi: Feminity to Divinity traces the lives and poetry of two extraordinary medieval saint-poetesses whose bhakti was so total, so alive, it carried them beyond the boundaries of ordinary sainthood. Andal, a ninth-century Alvar from the Tamil Srivaisnavite tradition, and Akka Mahadevi, a twelfth-century voice from the Virasaivite world of Karnataka — both women whose words still breathe in temple rituals, classical dance, theatre, and the living devotion of seekers across India.
Author Alka Tyagi approaches their legacy from three directions: the historical and philosophical roots of bhakti in South India, a close reading of their poetry — Andal's Tiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumoli, and Akka Mahadevi's vacanas — and the living presence of their traditions in modern India. This is not a book about the past. It is a meditation on what it means to love God completely, and how that love reshapes a life.
For anyone drawn to the devotional path, this book offers both scholarly depth and genuine inspiration — a reminder that the bhakti tradition has always made room for the feminine voice, the poetic heart, and the soul on fire.
Product Details:
- Author: Alka Tyagi
- Publisher: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
- Language: English
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 295
- Dimensions: 9.0" x 6.0" (22.9 x 15.2 cm)
- Weight: 19.4 oz (550 g)
- Country of Origin: India
Bhakti Marga Just Love