Journey
Chausath Yogini temples — four surviving major sites
Chausath Yogini temples are rare 9th- to 12th-century shrines dedicated to sixty-four powerful tantric goddesses. Built mostly in circular, roofless stone designs open to the sky, these unique hypaethral structures feature individual niches for the deities surrounding a central Shiva shrine, celebrating the sacred divine feminine force. Only four of them survive, and the roofless plan is the opposite of everything else Indian temple architecture does.
Stops (4)
- Hirapur Chausath Yogini Temple
The Chausath Yogini temple at Hirapur, near Bhubaneswar, is a small circular, open-to-sky shrine generally dated to the 9th century. Its inner walls contain individual niches for Yoginis, many beautifully carved in chlorite. The temple is associated with the Bhaumakara period and remains one of India’s best-preserved Yogini shrines.
- Ranipur-Jharial Yogini Temple
The Chausath Yogini temple at Ranipur-Jharial in Odisha is an early circular, roofless shrine built of sandstone. Its surviving Yoginis are distinctive because many are portrayed in dynamic dancing postures, while several have animal heads. At the centre stands an image of dancing Shiva, creating a striking union of Yogini and Shaiva traditions.
- Chausath Yogini, Mitaoli
The Chausath Yogini temple at Mitaoli in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, stands dramatically on a hilltop. Built around a circular courtyard, it contains a ring of subsidiary shrines surrounding the central sanctuary. Its elevated setting and distinctive architecture have made it one of the most recognisable surviving Yogini temples, while its precise historical dating and patronage remain subjects of scholarly discussion.
- Chausath Yogini, Bhedaghat
The Chausath Yogini temple at Bhedaghat, near Jabalpur, overlooks the Narmada and is distinguished by its large circular form. Unlike the standard 64-shrine arrangement, the surviving structure is generally associated with 81 subsidiary shrines, suggesting a broader Yogini tradition. Its spectacular setting above the river integrates Tantric sacred architecture with central India’s landscape.