The azhvaars also spelt as alwaars (considered by some a misspelling as the pronunciation for wa is not the same as va and does not exist in Thamizh or Sanskrit) or Alvar, ( ) were Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused bhakti (devotion) to the Hindu god Vishnu or his avatar Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. They are venerated especially in Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu or Krishna as the Supreme Being.