Shri Yantra Mandir

About Shri Yantra Mandir

Most temples are read through their deity. This one is read through its geometry. Shri Yantra Mandir is built as a three dimensional projection of the Sri Yantra, also called the Sri Chakra, the diagram that sits at the core of Sri Vidya worship in Hinduism. The building is not decorated with the yantra; it is the yantra, raised into stone.

The branch of worship it belongs to is directed at Goddess Tripura Sundari, the Empress beauty of the Three Worlds. In essence the whole structure is a geometric representation of the concept of Shakti, which is why the plan matters as much as the shrine inside it. Visitors who know the diagram tend to spend as long reading the form of the temple as they do in prayer.

What to look for

The four headed sculpture

The most prominent feature of the temple is the huge sculpture with four heads set at the entrance. The heads represent the faces of Goddess Laxmi, Saraswati, Kali and Bhuvaneshwari. Standing back from the entrance arch gives you all four at once.

The 64 yoginis

Beneath the four heads run finely sculpted figures of the 64 yoginis. They are worth working along slowly rather than photographing in one frame, since the carving is detailed and the figures are individually worked.

Ganesha and Kartik

Set among the yogini figures are sculptures of Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartik. Their placement below the four faces completes the entrance composition, so look for them before you step inside.

Planning your visit

The temple sits in Amarkantak and is usually combined with the other shrines in the town rather than visited on its own. Allow enough time at the entrance itself, because the sculpture work above the doorway is the main thing people come to see and it is easy to walk straight past it.

• Leave footwear outside, as at any temple in the town.
• Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.
• Come in daylight, since the entrance carving needs natural light to read properly.
• Ask before photographing inside the shrine, and avoid flash near the sculptures.

Best time to visit

Daylight hours are the practical answer, and the earlier part of the day is better for seeing the entrance sculpture clearly before the sun is directly overhead. Amarkantak sits in the hills of Madhya Pradesh, so the cooler months are easier for walking between temples in the town, while the monsoon brings heavy rain and slippery approaches.