Dynamic of Changes in the Ritual and Doctrine of Selected Religions of Bengal

The historical Bengal is spread throughout the north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. From the perspective of religious studies, this region is a very interesting field of research. In the Bengal area we find the activity of the main religious traditions of South-East Asia, namely Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Their mutual interactions brought into existence many original and syncretic religious phenomena. They are characterised by archaic schemes of thinking and practices which are relatively stable; however, the symbolism and meanings correlated with them are invariant. Tantric practices - visualisations, mantras and Yogic control of the body - are elements of this very persistent system.