Chausath Yogini Temple, Mitaoli

The Chausath Yogini Temple at Mitaoli in Morena district is a rare circular temple — a great ring of stone on a hilltop, with sixty-four small shrines around an open courtyard and a Shiva sanctum at its centre. Built in the 11th century for the worship of the sixty-four yoginis, it is famous today for a striking resemblance, often remarked upon, to the circular shape of the Indian Parliament building.

A ring of sixty-four shrines

The temple, also called the Ekattarso Mahadeva temple, is a circle of carved stone open to the sky, its inner wall lined with sixty-four little cells, each once holding an image of a yogini — the fierce, powerful goddesses of the Tantric tradition — around a central pillared shrine to Shiva. The plan is unlike the towered temples of the age, built for a circular dance of worship.

The yogini cult on the hill

Raised in the 11th century, in the time of the Kachchhapaghata rulers, the temple belongs to the yogini cult that flourished across central India, in which the sixty-four goddesses were worshipped with esoteric rites. Set on a low hill reached by a long stair, the open ring commands the plain of Morena and the river country around it.

The temple and the Parliament

The circular, colonnaded form of the Mitaoli temple is widely said to have inspired — or at least to foreshadow — the round shape of the Sansad Bhavan, the old Indian Parliament House in Delhi. Whether by influence or coincidence, the likeness has made this remote shrine newly famous, and it stands among the best-preserved of India’s few circular temples.

How to reach Mitaoli

• By road: Mitaoli is in Morena district, about 40 km from Gwalior, often visited with the nearby Padavali and Bateshwar temple groups.
• By train: Gwalior is the nearest major railhead.
• By air: Gwalior airport is the nearest, with Delhi the larger hub about 320 km away.

Frequently Asked Questions

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