It is famous for a perennial hot spring of Medicinal Sulfuric Water which is located on the State Highways that connects Berhampur with Western Odisha. Being surrounded by a cluster of hills and thick forests, the serenity of nature at Taptapani is added by wonderful sights of sun rise, sun set moon lit night, tribal dance and music, chirps of birds and sight of wild animals.

The place as such attracts large numbers of tourists of all category. Poets, writers, scholars, picnickers, holiday makers and newly weds can best exploit the place through all seasons.

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Chausath Yogini Temple, located at a distance of about 20 km from Bhubaneswar in Hirapur, is one of the four surviving Chausath Yogini shrines in India. Of the remaining three, one is located in the Bolangir district of Odisha while the other two are in Madhya Pradesh. The shrine is locally known as Chausathi Yogini, meaning 64 Yoginis (incarnations of Goddess Durga).The presiding deity of this holy place is Goddess Mahamaya, who is considered to be one of the Yoginis. Hence, the shrine is also called the Mahamaya Temple. The daily prayer and rituals in the temple includes the worship of Bhumandala that is the five elements of nature – water, sky, fire, earth and ether. The Yogini practice has been known to include Yoga along with the practice of tantrism, having a strong connection with tribal and rural traditions.

History of Chausath Yogini Temple Bhubaneswar

This temple is believed to have been built by Queen Hiradevi of the Bhaumakar dynasty in the 9th Century AD. However, with time, the temple had lost its glory before it was discovered and restored by renowned historian Kedarnath Mohapatra in 1953, to its present form.Every year in the month of December, the Chausathi Yogini Mahotsav is organized near the temple. Nrutya Prativa, a city-based cultural organization, with support from the Odisha Tourism Department conducts this three-day event, in which classical dance and vocal artists from across the country perform and mesmerize the audience.

Architecture of Chausath Yogini Temple, Hirapur Bhubaneswar

Presently under the supervision of the Archeological Survey of India, this shrine has a distinct architecture featuring a circular open air sandstone structure, far from the traditional Kalinga style of temple architecture. Located on the banks of Bhargavi River, it is one of the smallest Chausath Yogini temples with a height of only 8 feet and a diameter of 30 feet. The entrance of the temple is quite narrow and low in height. Only one person can enter easily at a time and needs to lower the head while entering. The outer wall of the doorway to the shrine is carved with two doorkeepers (dwarapalakas) on each side

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Simlipal is a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha covering 2,750 km². It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas—Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary with 191.06 km² and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary with 272.75 km².

Address: Dist, Bhanjpur, Baripada, Odisha 757002

Phone: 06792 259 126

Area: 2,750 km²

Established: 1980

Management: Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India

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