Towards a Transsexual Dwelling in Yantra Studies

Primarily, in Yantra studies, we seldom see the availability for a transsexual reading, regardless of the involvement of trans identities in Hindu mythology. Bodies lie as integral elements in Yantra structures, as often they are based upon, around, or with them in mind. Yantra structures are often interpreted according to the Hindu mythos and tantric philosophy. Embodiment is a crucial element both in metaphysical studies and trans phenomenology; I introduce a transsexual dwelling in the Yantra. In this talk, through the visual analysis of the Vāstupuruṣamaṇḍala, Sri Yantra, a contemporary rendition of a Yantra from my artistic practice, and Sree by P.T. Reddy, I argue that the transsexual body is inherently involved in this reading. There is a trans mythos that dwells in the structure and logic of the Yantra—the transsexual body existing through orientations, transition, and self-reference in a visual rendition. In my argument, I bridge the gap between the Yantra and transsexual body through metaphysics and myth.