Chausath Yogini Temple, Hirapur
The Chausath Yogini Temple of Hirapur, also said Mahamaya Temple, is 20 km outside Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha state of Eastern India. It devotes to the worship of the yoginis, auspicious goddess-like figures.
Chausath Yogini Temple, Hirapur
Yogini images in simple niches
One of the Yoginis
A yogini with an offering of flowers at her feet
The Yogini temples of India are 9th to 12th century roofless hypaethral shrines to the yoginis, female masters of yoga in Hindu tantra, broadly equated with goddesses especially Parvati, incarnating the sacred feminine force. They remained largely unknown and unstudied by scholars until late in the 20th century. Several of the shrines have niches for 64 yoginis, so are called Chausath Yogini Temples ; others have 42 or 81 niches, implying different sets of goddesses, though they too are often called Chausath yogini temples. Even when there are 64 yoginis, these are not always the same.
The Yogini temple at Mitaoli, on a rocky hilltop, open to the sky
A kapala, a cup carved from a human skull, used in tantra, including by yoginis
Chausathi Yogini Temple, Hirapur, Odisha, 2012. The yoginis have recently been venerated with a gift of headscarves.
One of the Hirapur yoginis, with an offering of flowers at her feet