South India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti

Southern India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti are the twelve Alvars (also, Aazhvaars, Aazhwaars) and sixty-three Nayanmars (also Nayanars, Naayanars, Naayanmaars). They are regarded as the greatest exponents of the bhakti tradition of Hinduism. Most of them came from the Tamil region. The last of them lived in the 9th century.

Icons of temple worship

While north India produced Saints who wrote poetry and sang devotional music like Mirabai, Kabir and Surdas, they were not immortalised in art to be worshipped in temples. Saints of the western world are frequently portrayed in art, but their presence in churches and cathedrals does not seem to be universal. By contrast, icons of these 12 Vaishnava and 63 Saivate saints are iconised at various Vishnu and Shiva Temples respectively.

Names of 63 Nayanmars:

1. Thirunilakanda nayanar 2. Iyarpakai nayanar 3. Ilaiyankudi maara nayanar 4. Meypporul nayanar 5. Viranminda nayanar 6. Amarnidhi nayanar 7. Eripaththa nayanar 8. Enathi natha nayanar 9. Kannappa nayanar 10. Kunkiliyak kalaya nayanar 11. Manak kanychara nayanar 12. Arivattaya nayanar 13. Anaya nayanar 14. Murththi nayanar 15. Muruga nayanar 16. Uruththira pachupathi nayanar 17. Thirunalaip povar nayanar 18. Thirukkuripputh thondar 19. Chandicha nayanar 20. Thirunavukkarachaar (Appar) 21. Kulachchirai nayanar 22. Perumizalaik kurumba nayanar 23. Karaikkal ammaiyar 24. AppuUdhi adikalar 25. Thiru nilanakka nayanar 26. Naminandhi nayanar 27. Thiru Gnanasampandhar 28. Eyarkon kalikamar 29. Thirumula nayanar 30. DhandiyadikaL 31. Murgga nayanar 32. Chomachi mara nayanar 33. Chakkiya nayanar 34. Chirappuli nayanar 35. Chiruththonda nayanar 36. Kazarirru arivar nayanar/Cheraman perumal nayanar 37. Gana nadha nayanar 38. Kurruva nayanar 39. Pukazch choza nayanar 40. Narachinka munaiyaraiya nayanar 41. Adhipaththa nayanar 42. Kalikkamba nayanar 43. Kaliya nayanar 44. Chaththi nayanar 45. AiyadikaL kadavar kon nayanar 46. Kanampulla nayanar 47. Kari nayanar 48. Ninra chir nedumara nayanar 49. Vayilar nayanar 50. MunaiyaduyAr nayanar 51. Kazarchinka nayanar 52. Idankazi nayanar 53. Cheruththunai nayanar 54. Pukazth thunai nayanar 55. Kotpuli nayanar 56. Puchalar nayanar 57. Mankayarkkarachiyar nayanar 58. Necha nayanar 59. Kochchenkat choza nayanar machi 60. Thirunilakanda yazppana nayanar 61. Chadaiya nayanar 62. Ichainyaniyar 63. Sundhara murthi nayanar

Because his immense service to Saivisim, giving discourses about saivite works of Nayanmars and greatness of Lord Subrahmnya (Murugan) in India and abroad, Sri Krupananda Variar Swamigal (1906-1993), is considered as 64th Nayanmar.