वातायन

INTEGRATION OF VAJRAYANA BUDDHISM IN THE BAIDYANATH CULT AMAR NATH JHA Associate professor in History, Swami Shraddhanand Collge, University of Delhi Abstract Religion being the most dominant stream of cultural world, we have undertaken this study ; The Baidyanath Cult, not only to understand the various dimensions—Historical, Anthropological, Sociological and cultural aspects of the Baidyanath cult, but also to assess the present form and nature of this cult in the context of its exposure to wider world. The central figure around which everything revolves in the religious world of the region of Santal Parganas is Baidyanath, one of the twelfth jyotirlingas of Shiva. Carved out of a single rock, its magnificence and power draw lakhs of people to Deoghar for worship. The temple is open to all, no matter to which caste, creed or religion the person belongs to. The region of Santal Parganas is not an exception in the sense that several religious sects flourished and are being fo...