WOMEN AS CARRIERS OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THROUGH DEVOTIONAL MUSIC: IMPLICATIONS FOR VALUE EDUCATION

Abstract

Indian devotional music has historically functioned as a medium for spiritual awakening, moral instruction, cultural continuity, and indigenous knowledge transmission. Women, as singers, composers, performers, and custodians of oral traditions, have played a central role in preserving and disseminating this heritage across generations. The present research article explores the role of women as carriers of indigenous knowledge through devotional music and examines its implications for moral and value education. The study analyses devotional traditions such as Bhakti music, folk devotional songs, Sikh kirtan, Sufi music, and regional spiritual practices to understand how women transmit ethical values, cultural identity, spirituality, and community consciousness through music. Drawing upon review-based scholarly literature, here the researcher wants to investigate the intersection of gender, music, indigenous pedagogy, and education. The article further highlights how devotional music promotes compassion, empathy, discipline, tolerance, social harmony, and emotional well-being among learners. Through the integration of indigenous musical knowledge into educational systems, value-based education can become more culturally rooted and holistic. The findings suggest that women’s participation in devotional music traditions not only preserves intangible cultural heritage but also contributes significantly to ethical education and social transformation.