From Saints to Statutes: Bhakti, Sufism and the Right to Love

This paper explores how the Bhakti and Sufi movements in medieval India expressed forms of love, devotion, and intimacy that challenge modern heteronormative frameworks. Through close readings of devotional poetry and hagiographies, it uncovers “queer traces” in the lives and writings of saints such as Mirabai, Akkamahadevi, Rumi, Bulleh Shah, and Shah Hussain. Using Queer Theory and Postcolonial Theory, the paper argues that expressions of gender fluidity, same-sex longing, and alternative kinships were not only present but often celebrated within these spiritual traditions. Concepts like affective sovereignty and divine love allowed these mystics to transgress societal norms, creating sacred spaces where desire and identity were reimagined. By drawing connections between these historical models and the contemporary struggle for same-sex marriage rights in India, the paper challenges the claim that queer love is un-Indian. Instead, it shows how indigenous spiritual practices offer powerful precedents for affirming the dignity and legitimacy of queer relationships. In doing so, the study reclaims devotional literature as a vital archive of inclusive love and offers a culturally rooted framework to support ongoing queer legal and social movements. Love, in its many forms, emerges not only as personal truth but as sacred resistance.