Yantra. Mantra. Tantra

Or, a story from unknown India.

It was about 7th and 8th century AD that the art of temple building was picking up.

Religion was, perhaps,  the centre of the universe, and Science and Art the planets that revolved round this axis of reference.

 I stumbled on a gem, courtesy the good offices of my brother-in-law during the post-Diwali visit to Western Odisha in  Nov 2015.

Raja Khariar is 200 kms off Raipur and the twin villages of Ranipur and Jharial are about 35 kms off Raja Khariar.

This unlikely spot, was a major religious centre - perhaps doubling also as a stopover on a major trade route- from about 3rd century to 10th century AD.

Buddhism flourished in this remote part of modern day Odisha, where temperatures shoot up to 50 deg celsius in the summers today.  Wonder how the monks lived there at that age!

Strangely, even Hinduism flourished here during the same time, and the 3rd and 4th century scripts referred to this place as "Som Tirtha". 

There is a imposing Shiva temple from 9th century AD beside a beautiful water-body, which is believed to be the one that attracted many pilgrims in that era.

The Volcanic rock formation nearby, has a temple complex from 7th and 8th century AD. 

One of the temples is a Hypetheral temple. It is Open to the sky, has the statue of Shiva and 64 yoginis dancing around him. Time has taken a toll on this magnificent creation, yet, one can see the energy the Yoginis exude.

The Plateau near this complex house two mazes. Children play there, thinking it to be made for leisure.

However, they are the mandalas or  mazes , from the tantric worship site. 
The Open air temple being the place of tantric worship.

Few such temples remain, in the whole of India.

Indian science or religion spoke of Yantra, Mantra and Tantra.

Yantra - were equipment or engineering implements - being the most rational of the three, it has been discovered and harnessed by science since a long time.

Mantra- was believed to be like magic and scorned by rationalists for a long time. Quantum physics somehow managed to narrow the gap between mysticism and science. 
Nowadays,  one application of mantra is making a major comback as meditative tool or equipment. 

That leaves out Tantra - it still has not been discovered by science. It is still a mystery. 

and, that is the secret that Ranipur Jharial will show, but will not tell.