64 YOGINI TEMPLE @ RANIPUR JHARIAL [ ORISSA ]

 THE RARE 64 YOGINI TEMPLE  @ RANIPUR JHARIAL [ ORISSA ] 45 KMS FROM TITLAGARH 64 YOGINIS are the Godesses forms of Mother Parvati , as described in Devi Mahatmyam , who incarnated to save the children in the world ….!!! The Saptamatrika (Brahmi, Maheshvari, Kumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani and Chamunda) joined by Chandika and Mahalakshmi form the nine Matrika cluster.

Each Matrika is considered to be a Yogini and is associated with eight other Yoginis resulting in the troupe of eighty-one (nine times nine). Thus, Yoginis are considered as manifestations or daughters of the Matrikas. The yoginis also occupy an important place in Tantra, one of their chief temples in India are in 'Ranipur-Jharial' @ Titlagarh and the 'Chaushathi Jogini' (the 64 yoginis) temple near Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Other Major temple is at Jabalpur Bhedaghat , Destroyed ruins of temples are at Khajuraho , near Lalitpur [UP] and Shardaapeth [ Kashmir ]

“Sixty and four are the instruments of enjoyments that tempt the individual soul (jiva). Sixty and four are the divisions (kalas) within jiva; Sixty and four are the chambers of jiva’s chakras; Sixty and four; where Shiva-Shakti are.”
Thirumandiram V. 1418

In very ancient days, eight great Female Goddesses Shaktis emerged from the cosmic soul of the Principle Dieties and formed Kali Durga, the Universal Shakti Power, These were the grand Mothers (Ashta Matrikas) of all subsequent Yoginis. According to Kaula Tantra, these eight manifested each in turn into eight Divine Shaktis, thus resulting in the 64 Tantric Yoginis.

Shiva had created seven Matrikas to combat the demon Andhaka, who had the ability to duplicate from each drop of his blood that falls from him when he is wounded.[The Matrikas drink up his blood and help Shiva defeat the demon. After the battle, the Matrikas begin a rampage of destruction by starting to devour other gods, demons and peoples of the world. Narasimha, Vishnu's man-lion incarnation, creates a host of thirty-two benign goddesses who calm down the terrible, fire-breathing Matrikas. Narasimha commanded the Matrikas to protect the world, instead of destroying it and thus be worshipped by mankind. At the end of the episode, Shiva's terrible form Bhairava is enshrined with the images of the Matrikas at the place where the battle took place.

The seven Matrikas caught all drops of blood as they fell in the battle between Siva and Andhakasura,and thus stopped the further multiplication of secondary Andhakasuras. In this struggle, Andhakasura finally lost his power known as Asura-maya and was defeated by Siva. Nevertheless through Siva’s grace he gained a good end.

An examination of the ancient Tantric tradition reveals a particular sanctity assigned to the number eight. The eight mother faculties (tatvas) of the manifested universe, the eight directions with four cardinal and four intermediate points (digbandahs), the eight miraculous yogic powers (siddhis), eight "limbs" of Yoga (astanga) eight forms of the Divine Mother (matrikas) and eight primary mystic symbols (mudras) are just a few examples. The square of eight, or sixty-four, occupies an even more profound position in the field of Tantra which, from the point of view of the practitioner, first and foremost identifies the sixty-four Tantric Yoginis