Swadesh Darshan 2.0: Did this ancient temple inspire the design of the Indian Parliament?

"The Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli is in a Seismic Zone 3 area. Since its construction in the 1300s, the temple has withstood many an earthquake with almost no visible damage. (Photo by Abhishek Mande Bhot)"

Built atop a small hill, the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli will likely remind you of another, more well-known building: the Indian Parliament. Admittedly, the resemblance is uncanny. But there is little or no evidence to prove that Edwin Lutyens, the architect of the Indian Parliament building ever laid eyes on this temple.

The hamlet of Mitaoli is a 90-minute drive from Gwalior. Along with the temple complex at Bateshwar and the fortress at Padavali, the Chausath Yogini Temple is one of the three sites you can cover as part of a day trip from Gwalior.

Dedicated to 64 (chausath in Hindi) yoginis or feminine spirits, the Chausath Yogini Temple of Mitaoli celebrates the feminine.

To be sure, the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli is not the only one of its kind in India. There are 11 Chausath Yogini Temples all over India. Of these, five are in Madhya Pradesh alone.

Who built the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli?

King Devapala is said to have commissioned the construction of the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli. Devapala belonged to the Kachchhapaghata dynasty that ruled between the 10th and the 12th centuries. The Kachchhapaghatas were ancestors of the Kachhwaha Rajputs of Amber. The Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli was built around 1323.

What makes the Chausath Yogini Temple unique?

The Chaustath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli, like all other Chausath Yogini temples stands out because of its unique architecture. Unlike other Hindu temples that have a shikhara of some kind, all Chausath Yogini temples are hypaethral structures. Which is to say they have no roofs.

Mitaoli's Chausath Yogini Temple is a circular structure with a diameter of 125 feet, a pavilion and a shrine in the centre. The outer wall is supported by pillars. Unlike the Indian Parliament building where the pillars are visible from the outside, the pillars and the corridor can be seen only when you step inside the temple.

Sixty-four chambers, all of the same size and shape and each dedicated to a yogini, dot the entire circumference. The central shrine has a Shiva lingam, which some believe was a later addition.

There are several theories around why the Chausath Yogini Temple doesn't have a roof. Chief among them is the belief that the yoginis had the power of flight, and the lack of a roof was meant to grant them easier access to their chambers. A more reasonable theory suggests that the temple also served as a centre of education for astrology and mathematics, and it stood to reason that such a structure could do well without a roof.

Who are the Chausath Yoginis?

The legend goes that there once lived a demon king called Raktabija who was invincible because of a boon he had managed to get from Shiva. Mythology will tell you that no god, no matter how powerful, is allowed to grant immortality. But since being a god comes with its privileges, they tended to grant boons that were immortal-adjacent.

So, while powers that these boons gave were seemingly inexhaustible, they were also not without loopholes. This made the receivers susceptible to defeat.

Raktabija's boon was that should anyone kill him, each drop of blood spilled would give birth to hundreds of demon off-springs. This worked wonderfully for Raktabija for a while until Durga in a battle against him, released 64 yoginis or feminine beings that drank his blood before it touched the ground.

Sure enough, Raktabija was slayed, and the cult of Chausath Yoginis was born. The yoginis are also seen as sorceresses and therefore sometimes feared. But those who worshipped them also created temples for the 64 yoginis. These temples are scattered all over the country - in the present-day states of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Did the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli inspire the Indian Parliament?

While the locals would have you believe that Edwin Lutyens, architect of the Indian Parliament House, travelled to Mitaoli to see the temple for himself, there's no documented evidence to suggest this is true.

Despite its proximity to a city like Gwalior, Mitaoli continues to remain one of the lesser-known places in Madhya Pradesh even today. It is therefore unlikely that Lutyens had even heard of the place let alone travelled here.

However, the similarities between the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli and the Indian Parliament House are striking.

The Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli is in a Seismic Zone 3 area. Since its construction in the 1300s, the temple has withstood many an earthquake with almost no visible damage. One theory suggests that this could be the reason why Lutyens may have sought reference or inspiration from a building of such an unusual shape.

How to reach the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli?

The fastest way to get to the Chausath Yogini Temple in Mitaoli is by car. As you drive down to Mitaoli, you would do well to stop in Bateshwar and Padavali.

While the three sites are still relatively unknown to most people, Vivek Shrotriya, additional MD of MP Tourism, says this may change soon: "Gwalior has been selected as one of the destinations of Swadesh Darshan 2.0, a Central Government programme to develop select regions in the country as new tourism hubs. This would mean better access and a more holistic development around such sites. The sites of Bateshwar, Padavali, and Mitaoli will be developed under this scheme," he says.