What Are the 64 Yoginis-and Why Are They So Powerful Yet So Unknown?

Hidden deep within the forgotten temples of India are powerful feminine forces that defy all conventional definitions of divinity. Known as the 64 Yoginis, they are fierce, independent, and mysterious deities of the Tantric pantheon. Rarely worshipped today and almost absent from mainstream Hindu narratives, these Yoginis are not forgotten because they are unimportant; rather, their obscurity is deliberate. They dwell on the periphery of religious memory, guarding secrets too potent for casual discovery. So who are the 64 Yoginis, and why does their power still echo in the silence?

The 64 Yoginis trace their origins to the esoteric traditions of Tantra that flourished in India between the 6th and 12th centuries CE. Emerging primarily from Shaiva and Shakta schools, they are often depicted as emanations of the Divine Mother—Kali, Durga, or Tripura Sundari—or as attendants of Bhairava, the fierce manifestation of Shiva.

These Yoginis are not consorts in the usual patriarchal sense; they are autonomous, often frighteningly so. Their worship is believed to have been practiced by Tantric adepts who sought not devotion, but transformation—physical, spiritual, and cosmic. They were part of secret rituals meant to transcend time, space, and ego.

Some scholars link them to earlier Vedic goddesses, the Matrikas or 'Mothers,' whose powers multiplied and diversified in Tantric traditions. While the Vedas offered male-dominated theology, Tantra elevated the feminine to the absolute—and the Yoginis stood at the forefront of that revolution.

Unlike standard Hindu temples, Yogini shrines are unique: they are circular and open to the sky. The circular form represents the mandala—a sacred geometric space where the spiritual and cosmic energies intersect.

Some of the most well-known Yogini temples include:

• Hirapur, Odisha: A perfectly preserved 9th-century circular shrine housing 64 stone Yoginis, each unique in posture and expression.
• Bhedaghat, Madhya Pradesh: A hilltop ruin believed to house the rituals of the Yogini cult.
• Ranipur-Jharial, Odisha: Known for its blend of Shaiva and Shakta elements, with Yoginis presiding over the vast natural landscape.

These temples were not places of mass worship. Instead, they served as initiatory spaces for Tantric practitioners, who performed rituals on full moons, eclipses, and solstices. The open roof symbolized the infinite sky—a cosmic witness to secret rites.

Each Yogini embodies a unique power (Shakti), psychological state, or cosmic principle. Some control natural elements like wind, fire, and rain; others preside over inner emotions like desire, fear, or rage. Collectively, they represent the entirety of existence—from chaos to order, from creation to dissolution.

Yoginis are often depicted riding animals, holding skulls or weapons, with multiple arms and fierce expressions. These are not mere artistic flourishes, but coded symbols:

• Weapons = Power over obstacles and enemies (both internal and external)
• Animal mounts = Command over primal instincts
• Skulls = Triumph over death and ego

Worship of the Yoginis was designed to awaken the dormant Kundalini within the practitioner. Their mantras, yantras, and rituals are keys to unlocking supernatural abilities (siddhis) like levitation, shape-shifting, invisibility, and astral travel.

Despite their once-vibrant cults, the Yoginis have faded from the public eye. There are several reasons:

• Suppression by Orthodox Brahmanism: As patriarchal systems regained control, the autonomous feminine divine was seen as a threat. The Yoginis, with their fierce independence and taboo-breaking rituals, were pushed to the margins.
• Secrecy of Tantra: Tantric knowledge is initiatory and secret. Revealing Yogini worship without spiritual readiness could bring harm, not power. Thus, their worship was never meant for the masses.
• Colonial Misinterpretation: British Orientalists misunderstood Tantric iconography as grotesque or erotic. They labeled Yogini cults as primitive and degenerate, accelerating their erasure.

Yet, their temples still stand—quiet, weathered, and waiting.

In an age of spiritual confusion and masculine-dominated religion, the Yoginis offer a sacred blueprint for feminine power, individual awakening, and integration of the shadow.

• Beyond Gender: Though female in form, their energies transcend gender binaries. They empower both men and women to embrace wholeness.
• Empowerment: The Yoginis symbolize freedom, not submission. They call us to reclaim parts of ourselves that patriarchy or society has suppressed.
• Spiritual Transformation: Their worship is a path not to devotion alone, but to complete inner alchemy.

Their rediscovery is not just an archaeological curiosity—it is a call to remember a dimension of the sacred that was never meant to be tamed.

The 64 Yoginis are more than just ancient goddesses. They are energies, archetypes, and teachers. They do not demand temples or festivals; they wait in the shadows of consciousness, in ruined shrines, and in the whispers of the full moon night.

Their power lies not only in their mystery, but in their invitation: to go beyond dogma, beyond fear, and beyond form—into the heart of the Divine Feminine.

If you hear them calling, you are ready.