The term for a kind of bhakti (devotional) poetry popular among the Varkari Panth, a religious group focused on the Hindu deity Vithoba's worship at his temple in Pandharpur, Maharashtra.
The bharud is a theatrical poetry in which the speaker assumes one or more characters in order to communicate a message of devotion to God.
- It was particularly popular with the poet-saint Eknath, who utilized it to take on the personae of women, untouchables, Muslims, and other marginalized groups.
These bharuds have now been the foundation for popular plays, which are often staged during the yearly Varkari pilgrimage to Pandharpur.
- While singing the hymns of previous saints on a pilgrimage is a sacred act, these modern renditions are mostly for entertainment.
- The performers who portray the parts in these bharuds often add their own filthy remarks and acts to the scripts.
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