Image title: Bhairavi (squatting pose)

Fig. 148 to Fig. 161 are the depictions of Bhairavi Cakra/Cakra Puja practice of the Tantric cult. Usually in sculptures, the practice of Bhairavi Cakra is always depicted with a group of male tantric practitioners who are lesser in height than the woman and standing in a nude pose with or holding their erect virile membrane (penis) in their hand. And they are in anjali mudra, in front of or at the legs of the gigantic nude women, (hereafter called as Bhairavi), who is showing her secret parts in a standing pose. However, there are slight differences in those depictions in each place. Sometimes the male practitioners may be four or less in numbers and even one also.

Fig. 148: This sculpture is found in the prakara wall of the Shrisailam temple, in which the Bhairavi is nude and sitting in a squatting pose (upavesasana) by showing her secret parts. Surrounding her, the tantric practitioners are in anjali mudra with erect penis. Interestingly, in this panel, a Siddha is shown seated with yoga-patta, as the guide those practitioners. Except this panel, almost in all the panels of this Cakra Puja, Bhairavi is depicted in a standing posture.

Gallery information:

The Siddha/Natha tradition symbolize the most comprehensive understanding and application of the theoretical and methodological tenets of Tantric philosophy. There are many Siddha-centres all over the Tamilnadu. The temples in Tamil-Nadu contain the sculptures depicting the Tantric rites and the images of the venerated Siddhas in it.