ŚrīDharmeśvara of Vārānasīand the Cult of Dharma Thākur of Bengal: Some Analogies and Discrepancies

This article is the result of a small research project running parallel to my major endeavour: A doctoral thesis on the Dharma [UNKNOWN]Thākur cult of Bengal. This includes the analysis and translation of its most ancient liturgical text, the ‘Sūnya Purā[UNKNOWN]naof Rāmāi Pa[UNKNOWN]n[UNKNOWN]dit, and a study of the development of the cult in different religious and anthropological environments. In particular, I aim to portray the original non-Aryan traits of Dharmaism and their reaction to the massive penetration of the great tradition in Bengal. This article explores to what extent Bengali Dharma-pūjādiffers in some aspects to the more formal Dharmeśvara worship in Vārā[UNKNOWN]nas[UNKNOWN]. The basic differences between the two cults are summarized with reference to the social status of the priests, the ritual killing of sacrificial victims, the liturgical language and the presence of the feminine element. © 2004, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.