Nearly 10 years ago, an artist began a quiet, personal journey in her studio. Today, that journey is emerging as a national conversation.
Dr. Beena Unnikrishnan launched ‘EKAA THE ONE’, a travelling art project dedicated to India’s ancient Yogini tradition—a powerful, feminine spiritual legacy that has gradually faded from public memory.
The film is the first comprehensive artistic chronicle of all 64 Yogini temples across India and offers a visual exploration inspired by the sacred energy of the 64 Yoginis—guardians of strength, balance, transformation and feminine Shakti.
The project will traverse 16 states, combining a striking exhibition of her paintings with a documentary film and an in-depth study of Yogini temples. Dr. Unnikrishnan describes it as a “movement towards balance,” aimed at restoring the relevance of this forgotten aspect of India’s spiritual heritage.
At the heart of the project are 64 original paintings of the Yoginis—fierce, feminine deities rooted in early tantric traditions across the subcontinent. Unnikrishnan began the series in 2015 and completed it five years later.
The exhibition was opened in Delhi before travelling to Chennai, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, and Varanasi, accompanied by screenings of the documentary that traces the artist’s research and creative process.
Speaking about the project’s evolution, in a telephonic conversation with The Statesman, Unnikrishnan shares, “It started in the studio, not on a stage. I was drawn to these forms because they represent a kind of spiritual power that is both grounding and liberating. As the work deepened, I realized the message these Yoginis carry—of harmony between masculine and feminine principles—is not just historical. It feels urgently relevant today.”
The title ‘EKAA: The One’—meaning ‘One Divine Energy’—captures the philosophical essence of the project: that wholeness arises from the integration of complementary forces. “In our mythology and in our lives, we have often divided what is inherently united,” she observes. “These paintings are an invitation to remember a more complete way of seeing.”
Beyond the gallery space, the project has expanded into a scholarly book documenting the architectural and spiritual heritage of Yogini temples, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh.
During her field visits, Unnikrishnan encountered several sites in advanced stages of disrepair, including the tenth-century temple in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, where only four stone Yoginis remain amid collapsing walls. “It felt like witnessing the slow erasure of living wisdom,” she says. “One aim of ‘EKAA THE ONE’ is to draw attention to these sacred spaces before they are lost entirely.”
Her commitment also extends into the social sphere through the Kankali Trust, which supports artists in building sustainable careers through training in curation, finance, and professional presentation. The trust additionally facilitates art therapy for mental well-being and conducts skills workshops for transgender communities.
Notably, the trust has functioned without institutional grants. “We believe in working first, speaking later,” she explains. “When the work has integrity, support finds its way.”
For Unnikrishnan, painting has always been a form of sacred practice. “I don’t follow rituals in the temple,” she says. “For me, the ritual happens with the brush. These Yoginis emerged through reading, travel, and long periods of reflection—not through sudden visions.”
She also acknowledges the encouragement of the late patron Bibek Debroy, who urged her to compile the work into a book and supported the documentary. His family continues this patronage as the project looks ahead to a road journey beginning in Kerala, with potential international engagements to follow.