The Siddhars

The Siddhars are a group of 18 powerful mystic of the Hindu tradition. These mystics were said to have lived in different parts of India and were influential in the development of Hinduism, especially in developing the mystical arts and sciences. Among the these Siddhars are Sage Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras, Sage Goraknath, the author of Hatha Yoga Pradipika (a seminal work on yoga exercise) are among this group of 18. The Siddhars are also famous for their research into medicinal herbs. Their work and revelations of the workings of the human body is the basis of Ayurvedic medicine. The Siddhars are believed to be unrelated to the Vedic sages who revealed the Vedas. The various Hindu sects are thought to be combinations of Vedic tradition and Siddhar tradition. Apart from the Scriptures these Siddhars wrote, very little is known of their life. Some like Sage Agastiyar who was well know for his powerful mystical magic make appearances in many Hindu myths. There thus only sparse information on the internet on the Siddhars and their tradition. However this site www.palanitemples.com has a very helpful summary of who they are and what they contributed to humanity.