Image title: Bhairavi Cakra (varada-mudra)

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. 149: This panel is found on the top of a mandapa in the Kalmandapam village of Puducherry. The village is also named after this mandapa, which is belongs to the Vijayanagara period. In this mandapa, there are a series of panels depicting different kinds of religious practices of which Bhairavi Cakra is also one. In this a nude women is standing in a varada mudra and other practitioners in anjali mudra, and one of them is kneeling down at her feet.

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.