![Chausath Yogini Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2891.jpg)
The wheel had turned full circle, the Durga Pujas were here again, the 2nd year in the Pandemic. Although Debarshi and I had planned the Ranthambore Safari in June 2021, the vicious second wave had wrecked our plans.
Paramita, Manoj, Debarshi & I replicated our previous Puja plans & set off on a road trip this year to Ranthambore. Read here, our friends from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi also joined us there. We halted for the night in Allahabad ; the next day enroute to Ranthambhore, we detour-ed to this unknown ASI site – Mitaoli Chausath Yogini temple.
The Chausath Yogini Temple is an 11th-century temple in Morena district in Madhya Pradesh dedicated to the Sacred Feminine.
![Chausath Yogini Temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2888.jpg)
Chausath Yogini – the first look
We took a diversion through the mud tracks in the village, fields & farmers’ houses. At times tractors allowed us to pass by. We soon sighted the temple from afar on a hillock. We parked at the cobblestoned parking lot which had scanty human visitors but aplenty bovine visitors.
![Chausath Yogini temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2882.jpg)
![Chausath Yogini temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/R5I_2344.jpg)
There are about 100 steps to climb to the entrance. This monument was nothing like we had seen before. A circular temple with a flat roof , a ring of shrines is flat with an open circular courtyard to the sky !
![Chausath Yogini temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/R5I_2345.jpg)
Each of the Chausath or 64 chambers in this well-preserved Yogini temple has a mandapa plain outside and quite elaborate inside . The chambers now contain Shiv Lingams but originally contained 64 Yogini images.
![Chausath Yogini temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2904.jpg)
We met the ASI gentleman in the temple who is in charge of the preservation and he did mention that many of these status are now in the nearby Gwalior museum .
![Chausath Yogini Temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2905.jpg)
![Chausath Yogini temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2886.jpg)
An astonishing fact remains that this monument is in the Seismic Zone III region and has survived several earthquakes, seemingly without significant damage. I read in the Indian Parliament may have been been designed on this temple.
![Chausath Yogini Temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2902.jpg)
![Chausath Yogini Temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/R5I_2351.jpg)
![Chausath Yogini temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2892.jpg)
![Chausath Yogini temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2898.jpg)
![Chausath Yogini Temple Mitaoli](https://travelchronicles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/3U3A2896.jpg)
Quite a memorable detour for us enroute to Ranthambore !