Appar

Indian poet

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June 18, 2026

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Appar, whose actual name was Tirunavukkaracu, was a prominent Tamil poet-musician from the 7th century CE. He was one of the Nayanars, a group of 63 Shaivite saints who composed devotional hymns in honor of the Hindu god Shiva. Appar, along with Nanachampantar and Chuntaramurtti, are collectively known as "the three" and are revered as saints, with their images displayed in South Indian temples.

His hymns, part of the Tevaram anthology, were set to music and incorporated into temple services. Appar's poetry is characterized by its deep personal devotion and expression of love for Shiva, often reflecting his own spiritual journey and conversion. His work significantly contributed to the Bhakti movement in South India, making worship an act of music and bringing joy and beauty into religious expression.12

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South Asian arts
Bhakti poetry
The most important Nāyaṉārs were Appar and Campantar, in the 7th century, and Cuntarar, in the 8th. Appar, a self-mortifying Jain ascetic before he became a Śaiva saint, sings of his conversion to a religion of love, surprised by the Lord stealing into his heart. After him, the term tēvāram…
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The most important Nāyaṉārs were Appar and Campantar, in the 7th century, and Cuntarar, in the 8th. Appar, a self-mortifying Jain ascetic before he became a Śaiva saint, sings of his conversion to a religion of love, surprised by the Lord stealing into his heart. After him, the term tēvāram…
Read More

Nayanar
…the Nayanars, the poets Nanachampantar, Appar, and Chuntaramurtti (often called “the three”) are worshipped as saints through their images in South Indian temples. The Nayanars were approximately contemporary with their Vaishnavite (Vishnu-worshipping) counterparts, the Alvars. In the 10th century Nambi Andar Nambi collected the hymns of the Nayanars in an…
Read More
…the Nayanars, the poets Nanachampantar, Appar, and Chuntaramurtti (often called “the three”) are worshipped as saints through their images in South Indian temples. The Nayanars were approximately contemporary with their Vaishnavite (Vishnu-worshipping) counterparts, the Alvars. In the 10th century Nambi Andar Nambi collected the hymns of the Nayanars in an…
Read More