Devotion of Dissent: Contesting Hindutva in Bhakti Tradition.

This article examines the political ideology of Hindutva, which seeks to establish Hindu majoritarian cultural hegemony in India through an exclusivist nationalism intertwined with hypermasculine imagery, often resulting in communal violence and social polarization. It contrasts Hindutva’s militant and exclusionary nationalism with the bhakti tradition, a medieval devotional movement emphasizing egalitarianism, spiritual freedom, gender fluidity, and social inclusivity, which challenges caste hierarchies, religious exclusivism, and linguistic hegemony. The bhakti movement’s vernacular literature and saint poets promote a humanistic vision of society that opposes Hindutva’s homogenizing agenda by celebrating pluralism, love, and universal devotion beyond rigid identities. The article highlights how bhakti’s critique of masculinity and nationalism offers an alternative cultural framework to the divisive politics of Hindutva in contemporary India.