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According to the accounts found in some Puranas,
Linga or Phallic worship was first established in Daru-
vana or Davadaruvana about the present location of which
there is some amount of confusion. The Kurmapurana (Pt.
II. ch.37) is giving on account of the origin of the
Linga places it (V.99) on the peak of the Himalayas. The
Ramayana (Kiskindhya Kanda 43.13) also seems to point to
that region Siva Furana (1.56) places close to Western
Ocean. And it has been identified with Aundh in the
51 Nizam's territory. We are also told that it was in
camatkarapura identified with Baranagara in the district
of Gujrat that Linga worship was first established.52
It is scarsely possible in the present state
of our knowledge to come to a definite conclusion on this
knotty problem of Tantric origin. But whatever be the
origin and Tantra system of worship has been occupying a
position of supreme importance in the religious life of
Hindus all over India for at least the last four or five
hundred years. The religion of the Hindus has been for
a long period of time a composite thing. It is partly
Vedic, partly Furanic and partly Tantric. We have here
a superstructure of Purana-Tantra lore on a Vedic
substratum with establishments from different sources,
taking different forms in different parts of the country.
The Tantras especially exercise a great influence on the
religion as practised by the Vast majority of the Indian
cely misunder-
people; yet they are much maligned and largely
stood.