The leaders of the Bhakti Movement of the eleven-twelfth centuries were mostly Hindus. The liberal Bhakti Cult emphasized simple devotion and faith as the means of salvation for one and all. To the exponents of the Bhakti Cult ritualism and formalities of religion are meaningless.

According to them, the sole object of religion was to unite with God. There are many points of similarities between Sufism and the Bhakti Cult.

Yet unlike the Sufis, the Bhakti saints did not remain aloof and isolated from the people. Rather the Bhakti saints preferred to stay amidst people, preaching their ideas in local vernacular language.

This was the reason why the Bhakti Movement earned popularity, particularly with the people belonging to the lowest rung of the social ladder.