The very mention of Sri Vidya puja implies the puja of Sri
Chakra (also referred as Sri Yantra). Sri Vidya puja is the worship of mother
Goddess Shakti.
Every deity has a Yantra exclusively associated with it. But
those who do Shiva Puja, Ganesha Puja, Hanuman Puja or Vishnu Puja do not
usually keep the corresponding yantras in the puja. In temples under the various
altars of the deities the corresponding Yantras would have been formally
installed.
But in homes where Shiva or Vishnu puja is done only the Bana
lingam or the Salagrama is kept, but not the Yantra. In case of Krishna or Ganesha
or Hanuman or Ayyappa Puja, it usual vigraha or murti or picture is used.
In the panchayatana puja which includes worship of Mother
Goddess Shakti, one keeps the stone called ‘swarna-rekha-shila’.
But when you worship Mother Goddess Shakti alone, you don’t
keep any shila or vigraha. Only Sri Chakra is kept. In some places along with
the Sri Chakra, an image with hands and feet may also be kept.
Mother Goddess Shakti has many forms like Meenakshi, Durga,
Bhuvaneshvari, Saradambika, Amba, Tulja Bhavani etc. Each of these forms has its own Yantra. But it is very common that
even the worshippers of these forms do only the Shri Chakra puja, rather than
the puja of the particular murti or vigraha or yantra form. This is so not only
in houses, but in temples also.
Famous Durga temples have only Sri Chakra installed therein.
Sringeri has Sharadamba as the main murti; however the Yantra Puja is for Sri
Chakra. All this goes to show the importance of the Shri Chakra.
Sri Chakra depicts the advaitic identity of Shiva and
Shakti.