Located in Bhedaghat, Jabalpur, the Chausath Yogini temple is one among the oldest Durga temple in India.
This temple is one of the oldest heritage places of India and is located on a hilltop near Jabalpur. This was built in the 10th century. The temple consists of idol of goddess Durga and her 64 yoginis, considered as the different forms of goddess Durga. The temple is damaged partially but it can provide you with with knowledge about the dynasties which ruled this area.
Chausath Yogini Temple
To reach the temple, one has to climb about 150 stairs. The temple has all the idols arranged in a circular form. Amidst all these shrines, there is a main shrine of lord Shiva and his better half goddess Parvati, riding on Nandi, which is a sacred bull.
The temple was built by the Kalchuri dynasty, which ruled the region for a long period of time. Later, when the Mughals took over the reign, they destroyed most of the parts of the temple. The temple shows a quite simple design, but the shrines are beautifully carved. Each one of the yoginis show different postures. The temple has an internal diameter of around 116 feet and an external diameter of about 131 feet. The temple has about 81 cells, out of which, 64 are dedicated to the shrines of yoginis and the rest are occupied by similar deities like Shiva, Ganesha, Matrikas, etc. The existence of 64 yoginis is mentioned in the Skanda and Agni puranas. However, the Matottara tantra mentions the existence of 81 yoginis. Thus, according to the Matottara tantra, all the 81 cells of the temple of Bheadaghat are occupied by the yoginis.
This temple has a quiet and serene environment and also gives a breathtaking view of a lush green garden, which is situated down the hill. This place can surely be given a visit along with Bhedaghat. Bhedaghat is a waterfall of river Narmada. The specialty of this waterfall is that the rocks around the fall are white marble rocks. This is a beautiful and a must visit place in this city. The chausath yogini temple lies in the way of Bhedaghat and can be given a short visit if you are interested in ancient monuments and sculptures. The temple also has inscriptions which give you information about the temple and the yoginis. It is good for the ones who like to gather information regarding ancient buildings. But being one of the oldest shrines of India, this temple surely deserves a visit.
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Places Nearby
Panna National Park, Khajuraho, Chousatti Ghat, ShivSagar Lake, Chitragupta Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Lakshman Temple.
How to Reach
If you want to travel by Car, from Chhatarpur, Chausath Yogini Temple is around 46 Kms on National Highway 75.
Khajuraho Airport is the nearest airport is just 5 kilometers away.
Khajuraho Railway Station is about 10 kilometers away.