Table of Contents
Who popularized Shaivism in southern India?
In South India one of the most inspiring Shaivite leaders was Basava (died in 1167), a social and religious reformer in the Lingayat movement who was known both for his deeply moving devotional poetry and his radically egalitarian social doctrines.
Where is shaivism most popular?
South India
Shaivism was likely the predominant tradition in South India, co-existing with Buddhism and Jainism, before the Vaishnava Alvars launched the Bhakti movement in the 7th-century, and influential Vedanta scholars such as Ramanuja developed a philosophical and organizational framework that helped Vaishnava expand.
What is the difference between Shaivism and Vaishnavism?
And one of the divisions which has pre-existed in Hinduism is between Shaivism and Vaishnavism. While Vaishnavites (followers of Vaishnavism) worship Lord Vishnu (or his two reincarnations – Lord Rama and Lord Krishna) as the primary deity, Shaivites (followers of Shaivism) consider Lord Shiva as the Supreme God and worship him the most.
What is the history of Vaishnavism?
The inscription of the Heliodorus pillar that was made by Indo-Greek envoy Heliodorus in 110 BCE, in what is modern Vidisha ( Madhya Pradesh ). The inscription states Heliodorus is a Bhagavata devoted to the “God of gods” Vāsudeva. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, the evidence inconsistent and scanty.
A practising Vaishnav has to be a vegetarian in most regions of the country. As for Shaivites, they are also vegetarians in many cases but not all Shaivites attach too much importance to vegetarianism. There are certain sects in Shaivism which even allow the consumption of non-vegetarian food.
Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Gaudiya Vaishnavism, also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism and Hare Krishna, was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. “Gaudiya” refers to the Gauḍa region (present day Bengal / Bangladesh) with Vaishnavism meaning “the worship of Vishnu or Krishna “.