Chausath Yogini Temple

The Chausath Yogini Temple at Mitawali is a circular, hypaethral Hindu temple situated atop a hill in Mitawali village, Morena district, Madhya Pradesh. Built in the 11th century during the Kachchhapaghata dynasty, it is dedicated to the 64 yoginis and Lord Shiva. Notable for its distinctive circular plan with 64 peripheral chambers surrounding a central shrine, it is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and is widely cited as the architectural inspiration for the Indian Parliament House.

Visitors can expect a hilltop temple reached by climbing approximately 100 stone steps. The temple is circular and open to the sky with 64 small pillared chambers lining the outer wall and a central shrine housing a Shiva linga. The structure is built of sandstone with carved pillars and lintels. The hilltop offers panoramic views of the surrounding ravines and farmland. The site is quiet, with no roof over the courtyard, and visitors can walk around the circular cloister and central shrine.

Built in the early 11th century (circa 1323 Vikram Samvat) by Kachchhapaghata ruler Devapala, the temple is one of the best-preserved Chausath Yogini temples in India. Its circular, hypaethral design with 64 chambers for yogini images and a central Shiva shrine exemplifies Tantric Shaiva tradition. It is declared a Monument of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Dedicated to the 64 yoginis, considered attendants of Goddess Durga, and to Lord Shiva enshrined in the central sanctum, the temple represents Tantric Shaiva-Shakta worship. It remains a revered pilgrimage site, especially during Maha Shivratri, and holds cultural importance for its unique circular architecture that is believed to have inspired the design of the Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan) in New Delhi.