The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1380 page)

, while sponsoring
aivism and, in particular, the Li
g
yat sect.
The Li
g
yats adopted many socio-religious reforms, some of which were later to be promulgated throughout Hinduism.
Li
g
yat priests (
ja
gamas
) are highly regarded; while some are allowed to marry, those in the most prestigious category are
celibate
. They have great influence in the community, and every Li
g
yat, boy or girl, has to undergo initiation, at which the significance of the three types of li
ga is explained: the bh
valinga of Siva-tattva, the supreme, all-pervading, and eternal; the pr