Vajrayāna, also known as Mantrayāna, Mantranāya, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Buddhist tradition of tantric practice that developed in the Indian subcontinent and spread to Tibet, Nepal, other Himalayan states, East Asia, and Mongolia.
Tantras in Hinduism are esoteric scriptures.
In the Shaivism and Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, the goddess Tara is the second of the ten Mahavidyas. She is considered a form of Adishakti, the tantric manifestation of Parvati. Her three most famous forms are Ekajaṭā, Ugratara, and Nīlasarasvatī. Her most famous centre of worship is the temple and the cremation ground of Tarapith in West Bengal, India.
The Kashmir Shaivism tradition, also called Trika Shaivism, is a non-dualist branch of Shaiva-Shakta Tantra Hinduism that originated in Kashmir after 850 CE. In its place of origin in Kashmir, this tradition is commonly referred to as "Kashmiri Shaivism." It later spread beyond Kashmir, with its great scholar Abhinavagupta calling it "Trika". It particularly flourished in the states of Odisha and Maharashtra. Defining features of the Trika tradition are its idealistic and monistic Pratyabhijna ("Recognition") philosophical system, propounded by Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, and the centrality of the three goddesses Parā, Parāparā, and Aparā.
Rāmprasād Sen was a Hindu Shakta poet and saint of 18th-century Bengal. His bhakti poems, known as Ramprasadi, are still popular in Bengal—they are usually addressed to the Hindu goddess Kali and written in Bengali. Stories of Ramprasad's life typically include legends and myths mixed with biographical details.
Gopinath Kaviraj was an Indian Sanskrit scholar, Indologist and philosopher. First appointed in 1914 a librarian, he was the Principal of Government Sanskrit College, Varanasi from 1923 to 1937. He was also the editor of the Sarasvati Bhavana Granthamala during that period.
Buddhist tantric literature refers to the vast and varied literature of the Vajrayāna Buddhist traditions. The earliest of these works are a genre of Indian Buddhist tantric scriptures, variously named Tantras, Sūtras and Kalpas, which were composed from the 7th century CE onwards. They are followed by later tantric commentaries, original compositions by Vajrayana authors, sādhanas, ritual manuals, collections of tantric songs (dohās) odes (stotra), or hymns, and other related works. Tantric Buddhist literature survives in various languages, including Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese. Most Indian sources were composed in Sanskrit, but numerous tantric works were also composed in other languages like Tibetan and Chinese.
Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā was a form of Hindu tantric Vaishnavism focused on Radha Krishna worship that developed in Eastern India. This tradition flourished from the 16th to the 19th century. The Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā tradition produced many great poets who wrote in the Bengali language, the most famous of these poets all wrote under the pen name Chandidas. Their religious literature was mainly written in Bengali vernacular.
Vāmācāra is a tantric term meaning "left-hand path" and is synonymous with the Sanskrit term vāmamārga. It is used to describe a particular mode of worship or sadhana that uses heterodox things to sublimate for spiritual growth.
Luipa or Luipada was a mahasiddha siddhacharya from Bengal. He was a Buddhist saint from the Kãivartā community. He was a poet and writer of a number of Buddhist texts mainly the Charyapada which is the earliest form of languages like Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Bhojpuri, and Maithili.
The Agamas are a collection of several Tantric literature and scriptures of Hindu schools. The term literally means tradition or "that which has come down", and the Agama texts describe cosmology, epistemology, philosophical doctrines, precepts on meditation and practices, four kinds of yoga, mantras, temple construction, deity worship and ways to attain sixfold desires. These canonical texts are in Tamil and Sanskrit.
Kali or Kalika is a major Hindu goddess associated with time, change, creation, power, destruction and death in Shaktism. Kali is the first of the ten Mahavidyas in the Hindu tantric tradition.
Srikanta Acharya is a Kolkata-based modern Bengali singer-songwriter and music director. Acharya primarily sings contemporary Bengali songs and is one of the most prominent exponents of Rabindra Sangeet.
Mallarpur is a census town in Mayureswar I CD Block in Rampurhat subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Nabadwip Vidyasagar College is a college situated in Nabadwip in Nadia, West Bengal, India. It was established in 1942 as a branch of Vidyasagar College, kolkata and was affiliated to the University of Calcutta, later in 1960 the University of Kalyani, was established and this college became affiliated with it. This college is one of the few colleges under University of Kalyani which offers undergraduate courses in arts, commerce and sciences.
Shava sadhana is a Tantric sadhana in which the practitioner sits on a corpse for meditation. Shava sadhana is part of the vamachara ('heterodox') practice of worship, which is followed by the esoteric Tantra.
In Hinduism, upachara refers to the offerings and services made to a deity as part of worship.
Dutta Chaudhuryfamily or the 'Duttas of Andul' were the erstwhile Chaudhury (-ies) & zamindars, during Sultanate and Mughal periods, of Muzaffarpur pargana of the administrative unit of the 'Sarkar of Satgaon' of Subah Bangla. The pargana further consisted of several revenue collection units referred to as moujas, namely Andul, Mahiary, Alampore, Dhulagore, Sankrail, Kendua, etc. The Dutta Chaudhury family was founded by zamindar Debdas (Tekari) Dutta, in the late 14th century CE. Since zamindar Tekari acquired almost the entire pargana as his estate ownership, from his father, he was designated as 'Chaudhury' (Collector) of the pargana by Sikandar Shah, the second Sultan of Bengal.
Krishnananda Agamavagish was a noted Kulin Bengali Brahmin of Nabadwip, Nadia district origin and a renowned Pandita (Scholar) and Sadhaka of Tantra tradition who lived around 1575 CE or 1575 Saka era. He is the author of the Tantrasara.
Shakto Raas is the most celebrated festival of Nabadwip, Shantipur and Krishnanagar of Nadia district in West Bengal, India. This festival is celebrated thirty-five days after the autumnal Durga Puja celebration, fifteen days after Kali Puja and a week after Jagaddhatri Puja in Kartik Purnima. To the people of Nabadwip, Rash Festival is everything. The entire Hindu community eagerly waits for this festival all the year round.
