Ritual

Cosmogram: an astronomical
computation. Rajasthan, c. 19th
century. Ink on paper.
72
texts the shape of the universe is depicted analogously as a human
being standing with feet apart and the arms akimbo. The upper
region consists of 16 heavens of 63 layers. The middle world,
which coincides with the earthly plane, contains innumerable
concentric rings of continents and oceans around the jambu-dvipa.
The lower realm, in the shape of a half-drum, consists of 7 earths
and 49 layers of the subterranean regions. Various elements
combined according to a hierarchy of order assume architectonic
structure when form and colour introduce rhythms into the
composition. Thus the homogeneity of the cosmos is expressed in
the combination of red and ochre squares which chart the body of
the cosmic man. By means of their monumental size these scrolls
have a majestic power: the onlooker is drawn into their living
space to apprehend the hidden totality. In them, the function of
form is purely analytical and it demonstrates that what is taking
place within one's own body - persistently implying that man
alone is the measure of all things. We must sink into our own
wombs to find ourselves.
Astronomy, the science of celestial bodies, had a decisive
influence on tantra. Celestial tides and the movement of planets
determine the time for various rites. As an inevitable consequence,