Chausath Yoginis, Balangir

The 10-century hypaethral Chausath Yogini circular temple at Ranipur-Jharial in Balangir district, Odisha — one of the four surviving major Yogini temples in India. The 15-metre-diameter open circular shrine holds 64 yogini images in niches around the inner wall facing a central Shiva Nataraja figure. The site is the westernmost of the four surviving Yogini circular temples, documenting the Somavamshi-period western Odisha Tantric tradition on the sandstone outcrop. The adjacent 10-century Indralath brick temple (a 20-metre-tall Nagara-style brick shikhara, one of the tallest surviving brick temples in India) completes the Ranipur-Jharial Shakta-Shaiva complex. ASI protection since 1952; the UNESCO Chausath Yogini serial nomination is in preparation.