There are so many things which fill up ones heart with awe and intrigue. The Chausatth Yogini Temple structures at Khujaraho are definitely one of them. These are among the least known temple clusters at Khujuraho, which is more popularly known for the famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
These are a set of structures laid on a raised platform with small temple type edifices on 3 sides but with almost no carvings or motifs what-so-ever. The broken steps which take one on top of the high-rise platform make this configuration even more mysterious.
The strange thing about these temple structures are the total absence of habitation around them. Even the road reaching up to these monuments are not there at many places and the poor auto-rickshaw driver had to travel between patches of dried ponds and soft earth, which were spotted by large boulders.
What I learned about these temple configurations was that there are only two such places in India which has a structure dedicated to the Chausatth Yogini's or the 64 Dieties. One is in Khajuraho and the other one is somewhere in Odisha.
These are apart from the famous Chausatth Yogini Temple at Jabalpur which is a full fledged temple having idols depicting the various Yoginis. Further, each of the places of the Chausatth Yoginis at Jabalpur are of equal size unlike what is there in Khajuraho.
The statutes at the temple at the Jabalpur situated Chausatth Yogini Temple prove beyond doubt that it was a Chausatth Yogini Temple. Then, what is this structure and what type of rituals used to happen in this Chausatth Yogini temple?
Now who were these Chausatth Yoginis and why do we not have many more temples or at least temple remains dedicated to them? Why are the only two structures in places which have a high tribal outlook? Is there any reason why these edifices have been long forgotten unlike the other temple structures?
Is the only reason why they were neglected was their uncanny crudeness? The local guides at Khajuraho told me that as per the folk tales, these temples used to be located outside the inhabited places and only the royalty were allowed to visit them to pay special homages and to get select blessings like victory over enemies or end of famines, etc.
The whole temple structure was such that there were small temple like structures on 3 sides and a large courtyard in the middle. It seemed as if some kind of grand celebrations could take place within the courtyard.
Each of the temple structure was a bare chamber with no trace of any idol. Though some local had put an idol in one of the structures but overall it was a very small chamber which would barely accommodate a single person in the sitting position.
The questions which haunt me are many. Was it some kind of tantrik practice place? Did the Chausatth Yogini's to which this temple structure was dedicated to actually exist as live women sanyasinis, who used to meditate in these small structures?
If they were not alive Devi s then where has all the idols vanished? - Knowing fully well that most of the Khajuraho temples are well preserved.
Whether this structure was actually a temple structure, whether it was dedicated to Chausatth Yoginis, whether the Chausatth Yoginis to which this temple was dedicated were live women or just some idols which have been rendered shapeless during the course of time are plain questions, to which, I also do not seek any answers.
For more photographs, view:
These are a set of structures laid on a raised platform with small temple type edifices on 3 sides but with almost no carvings or motifs what-so-ever. The broken steps which take one on top of the high-rise platform make this configuration even more mysterious.
The strange thing about these temple structures are the total absence of habitation around them. Even the road reaching up to these monuments are not there at many places and the poor auto-rickshaw driver had to travel between patches of dried ponds and soft earth, which were spotted by large boulders.
These are apart from the famous Chausatth Yogini Temple at Jabalpur which is a full fledged temple having idols depicting the various Yoginis. Further, each of the places of the Chausatth Yoginis at Jabalpur are of equal size unlike what is there in Khajuraho.
The statutes at the temple at the Jabalpur situated Chausatth Yogini Temple prove beyond doubt that it was a Chausatth Yogini Temple. Then, what is this structure and what type of rituals used to happen in this Chausatth Yogini temple?
Now who were these Chausatth Yoginis and why do we not have many more temples or at least temple remains dedicated to them? Why are the only two structures in places which have a high tribal outlook? Is there any reason why these edifices have been long forgotten unlike the other temple structures?
Is the only reason why they were neglected was their uncanny crudeness? The local guides at Khajuraho told me that as per the folk tales, these temples used to be located outside the inhabited places and only the royalty were allowed to visit them to pay special homages and to get select blessings like victory over enemies or end of famines, etc.
The whole temple structure was such that there were small temple like structures on 3 sides and a large courtyard in the middle. It seemed as if some kind of grand celebrations could take place within the courtyard.
Each of the temple structure was a bare chamber with no trace of any idol. Though some local had put an idol in one of the structures but overall it was a very small chamber which would barely accommodate a single person in the sitting position.
The questions which haunt me are many. Was it some kind of tantrik practice place? Did the Chausatth Yogini's to which this temple structure was dedicated to actually exist as live women sanyasinis, who used to meditate in these small structures?
If they were not alive Devi s then where has all the idols vanished? - Knowing fully well that most of the Khajuraho temples are well preserved.
Whether this structure was actually a temple structure, whether it was dedicated to Chausatth Yoginis, whether the Chausatth Yoginis to which this temple was dedicated were live women or just some idols which have been rendered shapeless during the course of time are plain questions, to which, I also do not seek any answers.
For more photographs, view: