Summary:
It was during a hunt for the whereabouts of an ailing friend we chanced upon a place called Hirapur, about 30 km from the capital city Bhubaneswar.
It was noon and we could sense the footfalls of an ensuing solstice even much before the real summer.
By D N Singh
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It was during a hunt for the whereabouts of an ailing friend we chanced upon a place called Hirapur, about 30 km from the capital city Bhubaneswar.
It was noon and we could sense the footfalls of an ensuing solstice even much before the real summer.
So to take a breather we went under a canopy of banyan trees and sat on the stones.
From where it was hard to miss the sight of a circular stone structure of pre-historic look battling against the claws of gradual dilapidation.
It was the temple of `yoginis`, popularly known as `chausathi`(64) yogini` temple of Hirapur.
Later an encounter with a local priest was indeed enlightening and then I came to know that the structure dates back to the Bhoumakara dynasty in Odisha who was stated to be the staunch patrons of such a cult and it`s practised which was established in Odisha during the eighth and ninth century AD.
It is said that Matsyendra Nath practiced it and subsequently systemized it in the company of women in a circle which was then known as `Yogoni kaula` .
A union of Shakti and Shiva and referred as Kaulamarga.