Date of Worship: Revered on Fridays, during Lalita Jayanti, and on Purnima (Full Moon) days.
Introduction
Among the ten Mahavidyas, Tripura Sundari, also known as Shodashi, stands as the symbol of Supreme Consciousness in its most blissful and radiant form. She is called “Tripura Sundari” — The Most Beautiful in the Three Worlds — and “Shodashi,” which means one who is eternally sixteen years old, representing the fullness of creation, beauty, and divine perfection.
She is the youthful and resplendent form of the Goddess who governs the universe through love, grace, and divine order. Her beauty is not merely physical—it represents the divine harmony of spirit, matter, and consciousness.
Spiritual Significance
Tripura Sundari is considered the Goddess of the Sri Chakra (Sri Yantra), the most sacred geometric symbol in Hindu Tantra, representing the union of Shiva (pure consciousness) and Shakti (divine energy).
She is the central deity of the Sri Vidya tradition, where she is meditated upon as Lalita Mahatripura Sundari.
Her worship leads to realization of one’s inner divinity and the transcendence of illusion (Maya).
She embodies:
- Wisdom (Jnana)
- Beauty (Sundaram)
- Power (Shakti)
- Bliss (Ananda)
The three aspects of Tripura refer to her rule over the three planes of existence:
- Physical (Bhurloka) – the material world
- Astral (Bhuvarloka) – the realm of thoughts and emotions
- Causal (Svarloka) – the world of pure consciousness
Thus, she governs all creation and holds the key to liberation (Moksha).
Iconography
Goddess Tripura Sundari is depicted as:
- A sixteen-year-old girl with a radiant golden complexion
- Seated upon a throne of five corpses (Pancha Pretas), symbolizing mastery over the five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether)
- Holding a noose (Pasha), a goad (Ankusha), a sugarcane bow, and five flower arrows – representing control over desire, aversion, and the mind itself
- Her throne rests upon the bodies of Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishvara, and Sadashiva, symbolizing that she transcends even the highest deities
She is often visualized in the Sri Chakra Mandala, sitting at the center as Bindu, the point of cosmic origin.
Mantra
Her primary mantra is the Shodashi Mantra (a secret Sri Vidya mantra):
“Aim Klim Sauh”
Each syllable holds cosmic vibration:
- Aim – knowledge and wisdom (Saraswati)
- Klim – attraction and desire (Kama Shakti)
- Sauh – liberation and bliss (Mahakundalini Shakti)
Chanting this with devotion awakens divine consciousness and spiritual fulfillment.
Worship and Rituals
Devotees worship Tripura Sundari through Sri Chakra Puja, Lalita Sahasranama, and Sri Suktam recitations.
- Offerings: Red flowers, sandalwood paste, kumkum, and sweets made from jaggery and ghee
- Fasting: Many devotees observe a fast on Fridays and Purnima for blessings of beauty, prosperity, and spiritual progress
- Meditation: Visualizing her radiant form within the heart chakra enhances spiritual glow and inner harmony
Symbolism of Sixteen (Shodashi)
The number sixteen in her name represents completeness — sixteen digits of the Moon, sixteen petals of the heart lotus, and sixteen stages of manifestation.
Thus, she is Perfect Creation, the Full Moon of Consciousness that illuminates all realms.
Philosophical Meaning
Tripura Sundari represents the point where devotion transforms into realization.
She teaches that true beauty is spiritual awareness, and the external world is only a reflection of the divine within.
She integrates pleasure (Kama) with spiritual awakening (Moksha) — showing that worldly life and spiritual life are not opposites but two expressions of the same divine truth.
Temples and Worship Sites
Prominent temples dedicated to Tripura Sundari include:
- Tripura Sundari Temple, Udaipur, Tripura – one of the 51 Shakti Peethas
- Lalita Devi Temple, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple, Bangalore, Karnataka
- Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Karnataka
Tripura Sundari, Shodashi, Lalita Devi, Sri Chakra, Mahavidya, Goddess of Beauty, Sri Vidya, Tantra
Goddess Tripura Sundari (Shodashi) is the embodiment of divine perfection, youthful radiance, and supreme consciousness.
She invites devotees to transcend illusion and experience divine bliss through beauty, love, and awareness.
Her worship purifies the mind, harmonizes desires, and reveals the Sri Vidya secret — that the entire universe is the expression of one beautiful, conscious divinity.
Panchang Official