The Chausath Yogini Temple in Bhedaghat, Jabalpur also known as the Golaki Math is one of India’s yogini temples, but it has 81 shrines instead of the usual 64. However, academics classify it as one of the 64 temples dedicated to yoga. The number 81 is a symbol of royalty, suggesting that a king established the temple. Situated approximately 5 km from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, the spacious temple is situated on a hilltop above the Narmada River in Bhedaghat (also transliterated Bheraghat).

With a diameter of about 125 feet, the temple is the biggest of the circular yogini temples. It is called the “most imposing and perhaps best known of the yogini temples” by scholar Shaman Hatley. Around the inside of its circular wall is a covered walkway with 81 cells designated for yoginis; three niches, one each to the west and southeast, are still open as entrances.

Story Behind Chausath Yogini Temple

The Mula Chakra of the Sri Matottara Tantra, which is still extant in Nepalese manuscript form, contains descriptions of the 81 yoginis. It describes nine Matrikas (instead of the customary eight); each is a yogini and leads a group of eight other yoginis, for a total of nine groups of nine.

Six of the Matrikas are identified by the inscriptions as Varahi, Brahmani, Maheshvari, Indrani, and Vaishnavi. Chandika, who is named in the Mula Chakra but is not typically included as a Matrika, is also mentioned. Dehejia speculates that two of the severely damaged images might be of Mahalakshmi and Chamunda, and the Kaumari image discovered at Mandla appears to have been taken by one of the Bheraghat yoginis.

History of Chausath Yogini Temple

The central deities, Bhairava or dancing Shiva, were moved when the building in the south-central part of the circle was constructed in 1155 CE, transforming the temple into a Gauri-Shankar temple. King Yuvaraja II of the Tripuri Kalachuri dynasty constructed the temple in the early 11th century CE. He lived approximately from 975 to 1025 CE.

The temple was four miles from the city of Tripuri, which was located just across the Narmada River. The temple would have been the largest construction project of the Kalachuri dynasty, according to scholar David Gordon White. The town was once known as Bhairavaghat; at the centre of yogini temples stood an image of Bhairava or Shiva.

The architecture of Chausath Yogini Temple

The temple is home to stone representations of the yoginis, including Kamada (“Giver of Sexual Love”), whose image features a yoni puja, or yoni worship. Among the 81 pictures are eight ancient Matrikas, or mother goddesses; one of them is Chandika, who is shown riding a human corpse in a cemetery. Male gods now occupy three niches; two Shivad and a dancing Ganesh are most likely remnants of the central shrine from its original construction. The yogini images that formerly filled those niches have vanished, along with many of the badly damaged and severely vandalised ones that remain.

The temple’s architecture is straightforward and resembles the temples of Khajuraho. One of the four Chausath Yogini Temples in India honouring Maa Durga, it is constructed of coarse granite. The temple’s architecture may be straightforward, but its exquisitely carved images of yoginis—each representing a distinct posture—are what stand out. The temple’s hilltop location provides stunning views of the surrounding natural beauty. From the bottom of the hill, one must ascend 150 steps to the main temple.

Facts about Chausath Yogini Temple

• Chausath Yogini Temple, one of India’s oldest heritage sites, is perched atop a hill in Jabalpur. The temple was built in the tenth century, mostly out of local granite, during the Kalchuri Dynasty.
• Built by the Kalchuri dynasty, the Chausath Yogini temple, also known as the Temple of 64 Yoginis, is a potent religious hub.
• With a circumference of about 130 feet, the temple is round and contains 64 tiny shrines, each honouring a different yogini.
• The goddess Durga, who is regarded as the foremost yogini, is honoured in the temple’s main shrine.
• The stone idol of Shiva and Parvati riding a bull is kept in the temple. Rarely does one come across such an image in the rest of India. We can find Lord Shiva by himself in the majority of the temple.
• The majority of the Goddesses whose names are inscribed on the pedestals are not the same as the lists found in Sanskrit texts (literature). The engraved pictures date from the second to the tenth century C.E.
• The temple’s hilltop location provides stunning views of the surrounding natural beauty. From the bottom of the hill, one must ascend 150 steps to the main temple.

Famous Festivals In Chausath Yogini Temple

• Durga Puja. (Winter) – Devotees celebrate Navaratri at this temple in the month of Ashwin (Sep-Oct).
• Navaratri. (Summer) – They celebrate other Navaratri in the fortnight of the Chaitra (March-April). Every nine days they worship Navadurga (nine Durgas).
• Diwali – Diwali is one of the most admired and auspicious festivals in the town.

How to Reach Chausath Yogini Temple

It is located in the city of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.

By Air:  Jabalpur Dumna airport is 40 km away from the Temple.

By Rail:  The closest railway station to Chausath Yogini Temple is Jabalpur Railway Station. From here, it is just 21.7 km away. You can take a bus, taxi, or auto to Chausath Yogini Temple after you enter.

By Road: The best way to see this magnificent temple is to take a road trip; it is about 25 kilometres from Jabalpur city. Jabalpur City is connected to every city in India by road. You can easily reach here from any city.

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