Medieval Christian writers equated Hindu and Old Testament paganism with Venus worship

Evidence

The Risalah, in this matter faithfully represented both by Peter of Toledo and by Vincent of Beauvais, recognised in the practices of the hajj itself customs that were also known among pagan Indians: there was the circumambulation, lapidation and the howling of the crowd. The whole thing (in this version) was related equally to the paganism of the Old Testament and to that of the Hindus; and in both cases paganism meant the worship of Venus. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1210

Categorization

• QUESTION: Which specific pagan Indian practices matched the circumambulation, lapidation, and crowd howling ascribed to the hajj?
• XREF: connects to: Medieval polemic linked Muslim ablutions to the Venus cult