64 Yogini Temples in India

64 yogini temples are mostly found in the central India states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha. In Hindu tantra practice the 64 Yoginis, are considered manifestations of the divine feminine energy, these temples are a must-visit for people who follow the Tantric tradition and worship the divine feminine force.

In Tantra practice each of the 64 Yogini represents a different aspect of life and the universe, the goddesses are worshiped for their powers that awaken spiritual enlightenment and inner peace.

Some of the famous 64 Yogini temples are:

1. The Chausath Yogini Temple in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
2. The Hirapur Temple near Bhubaneswar, Odisha
3. The Ranipur Jharial Temple in Odisha
4. The Mitaoli Temple, also known as Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple in Madhya Pradesh

The temples are constructed in a hypaethral design which is open to the sky with a circular structure consisting of a central chamber open to the sky, the exposure of the temple to the open sky symbolises the connection between the earthly beings and the divine powers.

The 64 Yogini temples are a symbols of the Kapalika and Kaula sects’ influence in central India. These sects were known for their esoteric practices of Tantra and devotion of the divine feminine.
These 64 yogini temples have attracted Tantra practitioners for hundreds of years in search of divine powers, though it is not easy to reach these temples due to their remote location even then followers of the Tantra Tradition from all over the world visit them in huge numbers every year.

In the practice of tantra, the 64 Yoginis are guides and protectors, bestowing wisdom and supernatural abilities to their devotees.
The supernatural powers of the 64 Yogini, that their worship grants tantra practitioners are listed below:

1. Anima, the ability to become minuscule
2. Laghima, the power to become weightless and levitate
3. Garima, the capacity to increase one’s weight immensely
4. Mahima, the ability to grow in size
5. Istiva, the power to dominate the will of others
6. Parakamya, the capability to fulfill one’s desires
7. Vasitva, the control over the five elements; and
8. Kamavasayitva, the power to satisfy all desires

The 64 Yoginis are a testament to the belief in the supreme powers of the raw & untamed divine feminine force in Indian spirituality.