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The Chausathi Yoginis of Hirapur: from Tantra to Tourism
I had first visited Chausathi Yogini temple, Hirapur as a part of my professional work, to design a training program for the residents of the Hirapur village. A mild interest in the temple and the yoginis soon transformed itself into a mighty passion. The more I read and delved deep, the more intrigued I was. From Hirapur, Ranipur Jharial, Khajuraho, Morena to Cambodia and Indonesia, I have met the Yogini's everywhere. Initially I started with a song project dedicated to the Yoginis of Hirapur, my long-standing tryst with the Chausathi Yoginis, to be presented to them in the form of a song. The song took shape bit by bit, beginning under the patch of blue sky we could see from where we stood inside the hypaethral temple of Hirapur, the abode of the Yoginis. Several compositional techniques were used to evoke the essence of tantra music—tone painting, melodic phrasing, sequences, and rhythmic ostinati to create musical complements to meditation. The melody weaves the texture of a trance, helping in deepening the listeners insight. The use of traditional, authentic musical instruments further accentuated the experience. The vocal melody, mantric utterance, and rhythmic flow all were enmeshed to create the mysticism of the Yoginis. Immediately after this, the book took shape. Based on my research and information I collected from museums in several places, I have tried to demystify the relatively unknown Chausathi Yoginis of Hirapur. Several rare aspects of this temple intrigued me. The Yogini Cult, Tantric in nature and tantra itself, projecting the efficacy of magical rituals and spell, sounds and gestures, is intertwined deeply with rural and tribal traditions. There is a diverse range of attitudes toward the tantric traditions, ranging from viewing it as a path to liberation to the relatively widespread associations of the tantric traditions with sorcery and libertine sexuality. In Hinduism, the tantra tradition is most often associated with its goddess tradition called Shaktism, followed by Shaivism and Vaishnavism. In this temple, every male deity except Shiva are replaced by a female counterpart including Ganesh all of them representing varied qualities. The Yoginis were believed to impart magical powers to their These powers
anima (the ability to become very small),
laghima (the power to levitate and to be able to leave your body at will),
garima (the power to become very heavy),
mahima (the power to become large in size),
istiva (the power to control the body and mind of oneself and others),
parakamya (the power to make others do your biding),
vasitva (the power to control the five elements) and kamavasayitva (the power to be able to fulfill all your desires) (Dehejia). According to the Archeological Survey of India the temple came to be known in 1953 (Mahapatra 1953). This seems strange considering the proximity of the temple to the state capital Bhubaneswar. I have visited the temple uncountable times, mostly alone but often with friends and have enjoyed the quiet isolation that has been thrust upon not just this temple but the cult as well. The most beautiful Yogini temple among all, sixty three Yoginis are enshrined here. One statue is missing. This book is a compilation of my research and readings on the Chausathi Yogini temple at Hirapur. This book was motivated by the desire to delve deeply into the tantric roots in which the Yogini cult is embedded and to link it to the significance of this site as a potential cultural tourism destination. Dr. Adyasha Das, Author
anima (the ability to become very small),
laghima (the power to levitate and to be able to leave your body at will),
garima (the power to become very heavy),
mahima (the power to become large in size),
istiva (the power to control the body and mind of oneself and others),
parakamya (the power to make others do your biding),
vasitva (the power to control the five elements) and kamavasayitva (the power to be able to fulfill all your desires) (Dehejia). According to the Archeological Survey of India the temple came to be known in 1953 (Mahapatra 1953). This seems strange considering the proximity of the temple to the state capital Bhubaneswar. I have visited the temple uncountable times, mostly alone but often with friends and have enjoyed the quiet isolation that has been thrust upon not just this temple but the cult as well. The most beautiful Yogini temple among all, sixty three Yoginis are enshrined here. One statue is missing. This book is a compilation of my research and readings on the Chausathi Yogini temple at Hirapur. This book was motivated by the desire to delve deeply into the tantric roots in which the Yogini cult is embedded and to link it to the significance of this site as a potential cultural tourism destination. Dr. Adyasha Das, Author
100 pages, Paperback
Published June 6, 2019
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About the author
Adyasha Das
19 books9 followersAdyasha Das,PhD is an unmistakable voice among the young writers in India.Her versatility is expressed in her felicity of expression in both her mother-tongue Odia as well as English.A poet and short-story writer in English and Odia, her works have been widely translated into various languages such as Hindi, Bengali and German. Adyasha is known for her insightful and colourful portrayals of life. Her stories and poems are based on varied themes. Suffused with sensitivity, they are reflective and sensuous at the same time.
Among her achievements, Adyasha has participated in the prestigious indo-german writer-in-residence program, AKSHAR organized by Sahitya Akademi, the Goethe Institute and the literaturhaeuser.net .She has been the recipient of Junior Fellowship in English Literature, Ministry of Culture for research on “Empowerment in the poetry of pre-independent women poets”. She has been an active participant of various music/poetry workshops and recitals organized by numerous forums at national and international levels.She has recited her poems and given music performances at Literaturhaus Frankfurt am Main, The House of World Cultures, Literaturhaus Berlin,Leipzig literaturhaus, Indische Nacht im Mousonturm, Frankfurt ,Uto Kulm, Zurich, Frankfurt Book Fair, Odisha Society of Americas convention, Seattle etc.
Adyasha is also one of the widely acclaimed singers of Odisha. A playback singer, she is also an accredited artist of Doordarshan and All India Radio. Noted for her melodious rendition, her repertoire includes Geet, Ghazal, Bhajan & Sugam Sangeet apart from Champu, Chanda and Geeta Govinda. A versatile performer ,she has perfomed extensively in Odisha and several parts of India, US, Europe and Africa. She has been awarded by several organizations for excellence in music. She has more than 15 audio albums to her credit and has sung the compositions of eminent music composers of Odisha.
Dr.Adyasha Das did her Post-Graduation from Delhi School of Economics, Masters in Business Administration from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar and PhD in Business Administration from Sambalpur University. She has published several papers in Human Resource Management, Organizational Behaviour, Tourism and Travel, Cross-Cultural Management etc in reputed journals. She has participated in numerous national/international conferences in India and abroad. Currently, she is working as Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (IITTM) Bhubaneswar.
Among her achievements, Adyasha has participated in the prestigious indo-german writer-in-residence program, AKSHAR organized by Sahitya Akademi, the Goethe Institute and the literaturhaeuser.net .She has been the recipient of Junior Fellowship in English Literature, Ministry of Culture for research on “Empowerment in the poetry of pre-independent women poets”. She has been an active participant of various music/poetry workshops and recitals organized by numerous forums at national and international levels.She has recited her poems and given music performances at Literaturhaus Frankfurt am Main, The House of World Cultures, Literaturhaus Berlin,Leipzig literaturhaus, Indische Nacht im Mousonturm, Frankfurt ,Uto Kulm, Zurich, Frankfurt Book Fair, Odisha Society of Americas convention, Seattle etc.
Adyasha is also one of the widely acclaimed singers of Odisha. A playback singer, she is also an accredited artist of Doordarshan and All India Radio. Noted for her melodious rendition, her repertoire includes Geet, Ghazal, Bhajan & Sugam Sangeet apart from Champu, Chanda and Geeta Govinda. A versatile performer ,she has perfomed extensively in Odisha and several parts of India, US, Europe and Africa. She has been awarded by several organizations for excellence in music. She has more than 15 audio albums to her credit and has sung the compositions of eminent music composers of Odisha.
Dr.Adyasha Das did her Post-Graduation from Delhi School of Economics, Masters in Business Administration from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar and PhD in Business Administration from Sambalpur University. She has published several papers in Human Resource Management, Organizational Behaviour, Tourism and Travel, Cross-Cultural Management etc in reputed journals. She has participated in numerous national/international conferences in India and abroad. Currently, she is working as Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (IITTM) Bhubaneswar.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 15, 2024
The topic of Chausath Yoginis is very fascinating but It barely has any good reads. I have visited the temple at Hirapur, reading this book felt like an ethereal experience due to it's crisp yet beautiful narration and deeply researched topics. Deeply grateful to the author for writing such a enigmatic book that reflects history of odisha in unpopular manner.
December 14, 2020
Provides only very superficial information about the yogini temples. The second half of the book talks about tourism. Not what I was looking for.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews