"We ought to fly away from Earth to Heaven as quickly as we can, and to fly away is to become like God, as far as this is possible, and to become like him is to become holy, just and wise." - Plato.
The minute study of the history of the Indian subcontinent and the various historical processes it has experienced will reflect a rather vibrant amalgamation of various socio-cultural and religious traditions. The unique nature of this synthesis lies not in the idea of the "melting pot" of consumption and assimilation into the prevalent hegemonic culture and tradition (though that may have been successfully attempted as well) but in that of the co-existence of various philosophical thoughts, religious customs and a projection overall plurality. The "Bhakti Movement"1, as it may be noticed by various scholars, was noticed to have emerged in the 6th century A. D. in the Tamil-speaking areas and grew in influence and rigour with the passing of time. Some historians notice a certain impetus gained by this movement in what is classified to be medieval India, specifically in the 12th and 13th century. The tradition, since its inception, is regarded to be a protest movement which seeks to contend and challenge all the orthodox, ritualistic norms of the established Brahmanical (Vedic and Puranic) religion2. Heterodox in its nature, Bhakti foiled the rigid hierarchies of the Brahmanical order, rejecting cast, gender or ritualism as a tenet of religion. Bhakti seems to have cut out a niche for those who were not accepted as the privileged in the Brahmanical scheme of religion, and made spirituality available to the larger masses, transforming the relationship of the devotee with the God into a personal one- one that excluded a medium such as the Brahman, or the community ritual practices.
In this context, women are seen to have risen to the occasion and followed the spiritual path leading to their Lord.