Chausathi Yogini Temple (Hirapur)
Hirapur, Odisha · Yogini goddesses · Heritage Temple
Roofless circular yogini shrine near Bhubaneswar on the state temple-tour itinerary, distinct from Bhedaghat’s yogini temple.
The Chausathi Yogini Temple at Hirapur, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, is a rare 9th-century circular shrine to the sixty-four yoginis of the Tantric tradition. Odisha Tourism notes it is one of only four surviving yogini temples in India, two of them in Odisha, and that it is open to the sky.
History
Odisha Tourism records that Queen Hiradevi built the temple. Its roofless circular form reflects the belief that each yogini is a centre of energy that flows freely in a circle, unconfined by a roof.
Each of the sixty-four yoginis is carved from dark chlorite stone with its own form and expression, while a central pavilion holds fierce Bhairava figures, with Mahamaya as the presiding deity.
The temple was rediscovered in 1953 by the historian Kedarnath Panigrahi and carefully restored; Odisha Tourism calls it one of India’s finest examples of temple reconstruction. Its packaged temple tour stops here on the Konark–Bhubaneswar leg.
Stories
A Queen's Roofless Temple
The temple at Hirapur near Bhubaneswar is believed to have been built in the 9th century, with a traditional attribution to Queen Hiradevi of the Bhauma dynasty around 864 CE. It is counted among the earliest yogini temples in India. Today it is a protected site maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Durga and the Sixty-Four
Local priests say Goddess Durga took the form of sixty-four lesser goddesses to defeat a demon. After the battle, these yoginis asked her to have a temple made in their memory. This is a story told at the site and is not recorded in any historical source.
Sixty-Four Stone Goddesses Under the Sky
The temple is a small circle with no roof, a tantric design in which worship takes place under the open sky. Its niches hold black chlorite images about 40 cm tall, of which 56 of the 64 survive. A central shrine is surrounded by four yoginis and four Bhairavas, and scholars note that the plan resembles a yoni pedestal.
Good to know
One of four surviving yogini temples in India
Sixty-four yoginis carved in dark chlorite
Roofless circular shrine near Bhubaneswar
Getting there
Hirapur village east of Bhubaneswar; taxi from airport or Old Town (~20 km). Biju Patnaik International Airport nearest.
Best time to visit: Oct – Feb