Madhya Pradesh - The Heart of Incredible India
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Chausath Yogini Temple (Morena, Mitaoli, Madhya Pradesh)
LOCATION: Chausath Yogini Temple, Mitaoli (35km from Gwalior).
BEST TIME TO VISIT: September to December or you can travel any time throughout year.
Ekattarso Mahadev Mandir (Chausath Yogini Temple (Mitaoli)
Chausath Yogini Temple, Mitaoli: A temple that celebrates the cult of powerful women
Its 64 chambers are dedicated to yoginis who worshipped Shiva
Once upon a time, there lived a demon king Raktabija whose blood, if spilled, could create thousands of evil offspring. When Durga clashed with this seemingly invincible asura, she unleashed 64 yoginis—feminine beings who drank all his blood to the last, before it ever touched the ground.
It takes a hundred steps to reach the Chausath Yogini temple of Morena, Madhya Pradesh, which stands on a hillock in Mitaoli village. The nearest city, Gwalior, is some 40km away. This is probably a good thing, because it grants the monument an uninterrupted view of the Narmada valley, which makes the tedious journey worth it. Beware, though, for as vast as the blue horizon stretches, the stories of the belligerent practices of the deities run deep.
The temple of Mitaoli is a part of 11 Chausath Yogini temples found across India.
Each clan of Chausath Yoginis had seven or eight matriarch leaders; the presence of clans has been identified by temples in states of Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Like with other Chausath Yogini temples, the distinct architecture of the one in Mitaoli sets it apart from other Hindu temples. The circular shaped hypaethral structure runs about 125ft in diameter, with pillars running along the outer wall as well as the central shrine. These were the kind of features that identified a shrine to be a yogini’s place of worship.
History:
This temple, also known as Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple, was built by Kachchhapaghata king Devapala in 1323. This was a time, between the fifth and 13th centuries, when the semi divine goddesses were widely recognised and worshiped in the religious landscape.
The central shrine holds a slab covering with perforations to drain excessive rainwater
This temple has 64 chambers in its interior, each dedicated to a yogini or bharavi. The structure that leads the eye to the sky holds another secret under its ground—a humongous water storage facility. The main shrine consists of a slab covering with perforations to drain excessive rainwater. A network of pipes runs around it, evidence of the engineering marvel lain bare for passersby to witness. Some believe that the open air plan of the structure was built keeping cosmic sciences in mind, and was used for educational purposes.
The temple that inspired India’s Parliament House?
While the structure of the Chausath Yogini temples remains unique, an uncanny resemblance can be found in the Parliament House of New Delhi, which boasts 144 columns surrounding a circular structure. No concrete evidence supports the possibility, but some historians claim that in laying the plan for the government building, Sir Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker drew inspiration from the Chausath Yogini temple of Madhya Pradesh.
However, there is no record of either having been to this part of the country, which makes the coincidence even more eerie.
How to reach (Chausath Yogini Temple (Mitaoli):
By Road: Hire a cab so you explore all places like Chausath Yogini Temple, Garhi Padavali Temple, Kakanmath Temple, Bateshwar group of temples.
Bateshwar group of temples Morena (200 Temple) (33 km from Gwalior and 5 km away from Chausath Yogini Temple, Mitaoli and 1 km away from Garhi Padavali Temple).
By Train: Gwalior station which is around 35 kms.
By Air: Gwalior airport which is around 26 kms.
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