Oldest Yogini Temple

 MyNaa Swamy

 The Yogini Temple at Bhedaghat is the largest yogini temple in India. Chausath Yogini Temple is situated on a hilltop in Bhedaghat .Built in 11th century A.D., the temple is the abode of Goddess Durga along with 81 yoginis or shaktis considered to be the different forms of Goddess. Bhedaghat is 25kms from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

Yogini Temple is a curious circular cloister of considerable antiquity located on singularly fine and commanding position above a hill near Narmada. The cloister consists of 84 square pillars which results in an arrangement of 81 cells and 3 entrances, two on west and one on south-east.  Most Yogini temples are dedicated to sixty-four Yoginis. Skanda and Agni Puranas also mention about sixty-four Yoginis only. But in Bhedaghat Yogini temple, there are 81 Yoginis.It is rarest Yogini Temple. Deities like Sapta matrikas, Shiva, Ganesha etc.are there. Matottara Tantra, which mentions a tradition of eighty-one Yoginis. Mula Chakra of Matottara Tantra talks about nine matrikas, Sapta-Matrikas with Chandika and Maha-Lakshmi, forming the inner circle of the chakra. Each of these nine matrikas issue nine Yoginis, thus forming a chakra of eighty-one. Bhedaghat Temple was meant for these eighty-one Yoginis.  The statues in the cloister cells can be divided into two groups, standing and seated. Standing statues, five in number, are made of purplish sandstone while the sitting statues are in grey sandstone. 

Gouri-Shankar Temple :The central temple, now known as Gauri-Shankar temple, is probably built after the original circular temple as suggested by Cunningham. It is located off-center of the inner courtyard, which is indeed very peculiar. The main image inside is of Shiva and Parvati sitting on Nandi. Looking at the dimensions of this image and the fact that it is constructed over a pedestal. An image of Vishnu with Lakshmi riding over Garuda is embedded into the wall of the temple.The temple was constructed during the reign of Kalchuri Dynasty and was mainly made with local granite. The design of the temple has been kept simple but the idols of yoginis are exquisitely carved, each one depicting a unique posture. 

Waterfalls: The Narmada, making its way through the marble rocks, narrows down and then plunges in a waterfall known as Dhuandhar or Smoke Cascade. So powerful is the plunge that its soar is heard from a far distance. The falls and the breaking of the volume of water at the crest present an awesome spectacle of Nature’s power unleashed. Narmada becomes turbulent as it plunges in a mighty water fall known as Dhuandhar.  Dhuandhar waterfalls is just 2 Kms away from Bhedaghat town.