Khemukhi is the name of one of the 64 yoginis, which was a secret and esoteric female cult between the 9th and 13th century. In Hinduism, the term yogini refers to a female yogi in general, but the term 64 yoginis refers to a tantric and secret female cult worshiping Hindu Goddess Durga. Khemukhi is the goddess whose broken statue is found in the 64 yogini temple in Bhedaghat in the Jabalpur District in India. Her name is most probably derived from Khe - In The Sky and mukhi - faced.
In the 64 yogini temple in Bhedaghat there are more than 64 goddesses, so the number 64 is not always related to the actual number of yoginis (goddesses), but rather to a religious mystical meaning expressed in the number 64.
The information on 64 yoginis (goddesses) is very little and it is very hard to say what they accomplished, as this cult used a form of communication impenetrable for outsiders known as twilight language. 64 yoginis believed that by various practices (black magic, too) they could achieve immense supernatural powers. Their temples are roofless. This particular aspect shows that in their religious practices and thinking they did not follow the orthodox Brahmanic paths.
Tantra denotes the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that co-developed most likely about the middle of the 1st millennium AD. The term tantra, in the Indian traditions, also means any systematic broadly applicable "text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice".
A yogi is a practitioner of yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions. The feminine form, sometimes used in English, is yogini.
Chamunda also known as Chamundeshwari, Charchika and Rakta Kali is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu Divine Mother Durga and one of the seven Matrikas.
Tantras refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. The religious culture of the Tantras is essentially Hindu, and Buddhist Tantric material can be shown to have been derived from Hindu sources. And although Hindu and Buddhist Tantra have many similarities from the outside, they do have some clear distinctions. The rest of this article deals with Hindu Tantra. Buddhist Tantra is described in the article on Vajrayana.
Shaktism is a major tradition of Hinduism, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically feminine and Shakti is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes a large number of goddesses, all considered aspects of the same supreme goddess. Shaktism has different sub-traditions, ranging from those focused on gracious Parvati to that of fierce Kali.
Tara, Ārya Tārā, or Shayama Tara, also known as Jetsun Dölma in Tibetan Buddhism, is an important figure in Buddhism. She appears as a female bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism, and as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the "mother of liberation", and represents the virtues of success in work and achievements. She is known as Tara Bosatsu (多羅菩薩) in Japan, and occasionally as Duōluó Púsà (多羅菩薩) in Chinese Buddhism.
The Kamakhya Temple also known as Kamrup-Kamakhya temple, Kamakhya Devalaya, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya. It is one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas. Situated on the Nilachal Hill in western part of Guwahati city in Assam, India, it is the main temple in a complex of individual temples dedicated to the ten Mahavidyas of Saktism : Kali, Tara, Sodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamalatmika. Among these, Tripurasundari, Matangi and Kamala reside inside the main temple whereas the other seven reside in individual temples. It is an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus and especially for Tantric worshipers.
Chausathi Jogini Mandir (Odia: ଚଉଷଠି ଯୋଗିନୀ ମନ୍ଦିର, ହୀରାପୁର) is situated in a hamlet called Hirapur, 20 km outside Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha state of Eastern India.
Yogini is a Sanskrit term for a female master practitioner of yoga, as well as a formal term of respect for female Hindu or Buddhist spiritual teachers in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Greater Tibet. The term is the feminine Sanskrit word of the masculine yogi, while the term "yogin" IPA: [ˈjoːɡɪn] is used in neutral, masculine or feminine sense.
Matrikas also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. Matrikas are the different forms Adi Parashakti. Matrikas are the personified powers of different Devas. Brahmani emerged from Brahma, Vaishnavi from Vishnu, Maheshvari from Shiva, Indrani from Indra, Kaumari from Skanda, Varahi from Varaha and Chamunda from Devi, and additionals are Narasimhi, Vinayaki.
Bhedaghat is a town and a nagar panchayat in Jabalpur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is situated by the side of river Narmada and is approximately 20 km from Jabalpur city. Its most famous sights are the Dhuandhar Falls, Marble Rocks, and the Chaunsath Yogini temple.
The roots of Shaktism – a Hindu denomination that focuses worship upon Shakti or Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother – penetrate deeply into India's prehistory. From the Devi's earliest known appearance in Indian Paleolithic settlements more than 20,000 years ago, through the refinement of her cult in the Indus Valley Civilization, her partial eclipse during the Vedic period, and her subsequent resurfacing and expansion in Sanskrit tradition, it has been suggested that, in many ways, "the history of the Hindu tradition can be seen as a reemergence of the feminine."
Kali, also known as Kālikā or Shyāmā, is a Hindu goddess. Kali is one of the ten Mahavidyas, a list which combines Sakta and Buddhist goddesses.
Kootayanimoodu sri Chamundeswari temple is a Hindu temple, This ancient temple dates back to the 18th century. The temple is dedicated to Chamundeswari Devi, who is a form of Durga / Shakti.The temple is located in kootayanimoodu, Vellanadu panchayat, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala and is one of the oldest temples in the state.
Vināyakī is an elephant-headed Hindu goddess. Her mythology and iconography are not clearly defined. Little is told about her in Hindu scriptures and very few images of this deity exist.
Himani Chamunda is a Hindu temple dedicated to Chamunda, situated in the Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India, in the Himalayas.
Chausath Yogini Temple is one of the oldest heritage sites in India. It was built in the 10th Century AD by the Kalachuri kingdom and has a distinct resemblance to the temples of Khajuraho in structure. The temple is the abode of Goddess Durga along with 64 yoginis. A Yogini is a female attendant of the mother goddess, who slays illusion with fiery passion through insight and liberation. It is located near the river Narmada and the famous Marble Rocks in Bhedaghat, some 5 km from Jabalpur, Madhya pradesh. Though the temple has been partially damaged, it speaks greatly of the ancient dynasties that ruled in Jabalpur.
Sankata Temple, is one of the holy temples located at Te Bahal, Kathmandu, Nepal. Sankata is a popular divinity who is worshipped, especially on Saturdays, to ward off bad luck and sickness. Sankata is worshiped by Buddhist as well who accredit the shrine to Chanda Mahoroshan. One of the curious things about the deity is that for Hindus, Sankata is a goddess while Buddhist take the deity as God Bhairav.
Te Bahal is the largest bahal in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is home to the deity Sankata, worshiped by both Hindus and Buddhists.
The Chausath Yogini temple is a ruined Devi temple in the Khajuraho town of Madhya Pradesh, India. Dated to the late 9th century, it is the oldest surviving temple at Khajuraho. Unlike the Chausath Yogini temples at other places, it has a rectangular plan.
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