Takri Letter Ya

It stands for the consonant sound at the start of “yes.”

Takri is an abugida: each consonant normally includes an unwritten default vowel. A vowel sign changes that vowel; a virama mark cancels it. 𑚣 can also join a consonant cluster as its second member, in a reduced form.

Takri developed from the Sharada script through Devāśeṣa, an earlier form dated to the 13th–14th centuries; it became distinct in the 16th century. Landa and Gurmukhi are related scripts. Used for Chambeali, Dogri, and several Pahari languages, Takri served trade, everyday writing, manuscripts, inscriptions, and official records. Chamba museum material includes copperplate land grants and treaties. It was official in several princely states from the 17th century until the middle of the 20th century, then gradually gave way to Devanagari. As of 2026, revival work aims to reopen access to older Takri literature.

Why does Takri Ya look different?

Regional styles and fonts draw it differently.

Takri has no single standard shape. In the Unicode Standard 17.0, the representative glyph is based mainly on Chambeali forms; Dogra and other regional styles can look different, and the selected font also affects how 𑚣 appears.

Conjuncts are uncommon in Takri. When Ya is the second consonant in a joined cluster, it takes a reduced subjoining form, so a Ya tucked under another letter can still be the same letter.