Talk about Yakshi and what comes to the mind is a beautiful
woman who turns into a fierce being and eat men. They are fierce and evil beings with supernatural powers. But the concept of Yakshi is
as old as the Vedas. Although they were not part of the Vedic Pantheon.
Voluptuous figures of Yakshi as old as third century BC have been discovered.
Thus,
she was a concept that was known to the people of Vedic era.
She was associated with trees and water and thus part of
nature spirits. Her figures had massive breasts, hips and thighs but slender
thighs. She was plump and irresistibly beautiful.
To show her connection with nature, she is mostly depicted
as standing beneath a tree.
In many folklores, Yakshi appears in terrifying form. She
uses her heavenly beauty to lure men into their deaths. It is said that Yakshi
enjoy men’s sexual favors before eating them.
Yakshini is part of sculptures in temples but here she is a
guardian deity protecting the sanctum sanctorum.
In modern times, Yakshi is connected with women who had
unnatural death, who were murdered or committed suicide. She returns to avenge
her death but she is not just satisfied by killing the men responsible for her
bad fate. She becomes a terror for the entire region. She lures men into her
trap and kills them mercilessly.
Yakshi worship is popular in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. There are both evil and good Yakshis in Kerala
Good form of Yakshi which is worshipped in temples and in homes and is also known as Sundara Yakshi. Yakshi is also worshipped in Kannadi Bimbam form. Yakshi is worshipped both as Upa Devata and main deity in Kerala temples.
Kalliyankattu Neeli and Melangotu Yakshi are fierce and evil forms of Yakshi popular in Kerala. In some temples, animals or birds were sacrificed to appease yakshis.
There is also a belief that Yakshis possess pregnant women and children. Some of the Yakshis that are known to create problems for human beings are Kariyakshi, Suryayakshi, Indrayakshi, Kumariyakshi, Pischachariyakhi, Ishanayakshi, Kalamukhiyakshi, Nagayakshi, Shankariyakshi and Vahanayakshi.
(edited on June 7,2021)