Chausath yoginis Temple: Saving temple with local Participation

Published by
Dr Ujwala Chakradeo
The famous temple at Khajuraho, situated on high platform, is in ruins. Of the 67 cells in this yogini temple, only 35 now remain. Fortunately, nearby villagers still visit and perform pooja there

 

Chausath yoginis have an ambiguous and blurred boundary between the human and the divine. Yoginis are often theriomorphic,  having the forms of animals, as female figures with animal heads. 

There are different clans of Yogins, the pattern and the system of worship of each group (clan) of Yoginies are slightly different with the tools and the material of pooja varying accordingly. These Yoginis have extraordinary powers called Siddhis, which are offered by them to their worshippers. Their temples are always remotely located and are difficult to access. These temples, therefore, have harbored dacoits in the past. The iconographies of the yogini statues in the yogini temples across India are not uniform, nor are the yoginis the same in each set of 64.

The temples of Chausath yogini are few in India or are less known. They are scattered all over India, in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Mostly these temples are circular in shape and do not have a roof over them. However, the temple at Khajuraho is an exception. The temple is on the high platform which is about 5.4M high. There are 67 cells in this temple. The temple is in ruins and only 35 of these cells are now remaining. Each tiny cell is entered by a small door and a small curvilinear Shikhara. This temple is also made up of yellow sandstone. Surprisingly, some of the villagers of nearby villages still visit this place and perform pooja during Navratri festival. Restoration of this temple with the help of these villagers should not be a problem. 
 

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