Alvars
Vishnu's Tamil singers
Alvars are twelve Tamil poet-saints who composed devotional hymns to the Hindu god Vishnu between the 6th and 9th centuries.
Their collected works, the *Nalayira Divya Prabandham*, form a cornerstone of Sri Vaishnava tradition in South India.
The name comes from a Tamil word meaning "those immersed in god." Their influence shaped Hindu devotional practice and temple worship across the region.
Eroded soluble rock terrain
- bedrockSolid stone underground
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- pavementHard road covering
- glaciationIce sheet spreading process
outcrop · fissure · plateau · sedimentary · calcite · erosion · geomorphology · stratum
Treeless herb-covered ecosystem
- scrublandArea of low shrubs
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- steppeTreeless Eurasian grassland
bedrock · barren · sparse vegetation · drought-tolerant · exposed · windswept · microhabitat · refuge
Native to one area
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
flora · fauna · conservation · restoration · wildflowers · pollinators · invertebrates · orchids
At risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- protectionGuarding against harm
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- preserveProtect from loss
rare · irreplaceable · stewardship · restoration · monitoring · land trust · protected area · habitat loss
karst
Eroded soluble rock terrain
glaciation · outcrop · fissure · plateau · sedimentary · calcite · erosion · geomorphology · stratum · soilless
grassland
Treeless herb-covered ecosystem
steppe · bedrock · barren · sparse vegetation · drought-tolerant · exposed · windswept · microhabitat · refuge · xeric
endemic
Native to one area
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
ecosystem · flora · fauna · conservation · restoration · wildflowers · pollinators · invertebrates · orchids · mosses
endangered
At risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- protectionGuarding against harm
- vulnerableOpen to attack
preserve · rare · irreplaceable · stewardship · restoration · monitoring · land trust · protected area · habitat loss
- Bhakti LiteratureSant tradition, aarti
- Indian SagesChaitanya Mahaprabhu, sadhu, muni, seer, guru
- Sri VaishnavismVishnu, Lakshmi
- Tamil Hinduismpuja, darshan, Thirukkural, Shiva, Amman
- Tamil Literature
- Vaishnava SaintsChaitanya Mahaprabhu