And so, in contrast to the somewhat rarified Sanskrit scriptural tradition of normative Buddhism and Hinduism (the Abhidhamma, the Tripitaka, the Ramayana, the Upanishads, etc.), Tantra is actually closer to the everyday religion of village life.
Tantra certainly contains many profound and subtle symbolic meanings that would probably not be found in village practices.
But the basic emphasis in Tantra on devotion to a deity, and bodily purification and initiation through a guru or guiding deity, is similar to popular (common) religious practice in India.