Chausathi Yogini Temple, Hirapur

The Chausathi Yogini Temple at Hirapur is a 9th-century hypaethral temple located in Hirapur village, Khordha district, about 20 km southeast of Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Dedicated to the 64 yoginis, it is circular, roofless and open to the sky, with 64 sandstone yogini images set in niches around the interior wall and a central shrine. One of only four surviving yogini temples in India, it is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and noted for its tantric architecture and sculpture.

Visitors can expect a small, circular, open-air temple about 25 feet in diameter with no roof, set in a rural village landscape near fields. The interior wall contains 64 niches housing sandstone sculptures of yoginis in various poses, each with distinct attributes. At the centre is a small shrine with a Shiva linga and images of yoginis. The site is compact, quiet and exposed to the sky, allowing close viewing of detailed 9th-century carvings and the unique hypaethral layout.

Built in the 9th century CE, attributed to Queen Hiradevi of the Bhauma-Kara dynasty, the Hirapur temple is the smallest of the four extant Chausathi Yogini temples in India. It represents the early development of the Yogini cult and tantric traditions in Odisha. Constructed of coarse sandstone in a circular hypaethral plan, it is maintained as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The temple is dedicated to the 64 yoginis, attendants of the Goddess Kali and manifestations of Shakti, and reflects tantric Shakta worship traditions. The central deity is associated with Mahamaya/Charchika. It remains a place of reverence for devotees of Shakti and an important example of Odisha's tantric heritage and sculptural art.