Everyone has the wonderful Colosseum of Rome on their travel bucket list. Did you know that you could save a ton of money by travelling to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh instead of Rome? You read that right! There is actually a monument similar to the Colosseum; it’s a temple in Mitawali. No passports are required; sounds exciting right, keep reading.
This Temple In India Resembles The Colosseum of Rome
A well-preserved ancient 11th-century temple, Chausath Yogini Temple is located in Mitaoli village, Morena district, Madhya Pradesh. It is also known as Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple and is just 59.7 Km away from Gwalior. The village is also known as Mitawali village. It was constructed during the reign of Kachchhapaghata and is still in quite a pristine manner.
The Colosseum in Mitawali is standing atop a gorgeous hilltop and has some of the best views of the village and Narmada Valley. It is a Yogini temple dedicated to 64 yoginis and goddess Devi with an open courtyard devoted to Shiva at the centre. Yogini temples are mainly 9th to 12th-century roofless shrines dedicated to female masters of yoga, Yogini.
The significance of 64 also alludes to the name of the temple as Chausath in Hindi means 64. They are largely correlated with sacred feminine energy. The temple has numerous shivalings as well. It is a circular temple of 65 chambers that features beautiful female bodies, sometimes with animal heads.
The History Related To Chausath Yogini Temple
- This Colosseum in Mitawali has a mythical story associated with the Chausath Yogini Temple.
- There was a demon king named Raktabija and if his blood was spilled, it would create numerous of his evil offspring.
- Durga Maa had a clash with this demon and ended up unleashing 64 yoginis, divine feminine beings, who drank up all of Raktabija’s blood till the last drop.
- Therefore, no drop of blood dropped on the ground and no evil offerings came into being.
Also Read: Do You Know Meghalaya Has A 500-YO Durga Temple, A Divine Marvel In The Abode of Clouds?
It Has Great Symmetric Architecture & Will Mesmerise You
- The distinct architecture of this temple is what sets it apart. It takes you to climb 100 steps to reach the temple. At the foothills, there is a life-size bull figure.
- After climbing up, you will see a huge circular-shaped hypaethral structure spanning 125ft in diameter. The materials used are bricks and limestone. Pillars are running around the outer wall and at the inner shrine.
- The central shrine has a portion of the perforated slab which drains excessive rainwater as the shrine is roofless. The Colosseum in Mitawali got a rainwater harvesting system even before the need for rainwater harvesting. Many pipes are running around it, you may witness this engineering marvel.
- Some say the temple’s architecture was used to study cosmic energies with the help of the sun.
- The remarkable architecture dates back to the 11th century. Still, it has proven to withstand many earthquakes with little to no damage done to the structure.
How To Reach The Colosseum In Mitawali?
To reach Chausath Yogini Temple, the nearest airport is just 30 Km away which is Gwalior Airport (Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Airport) and the nearest railway station, Gohad Road railway station is just 18 Km away. Another station is Malanpur railway station which is only 20 Km away. If you are planning to take the road, Gwalior and Morena have frequent bus services to Mitawali, so head over to the nearest bus depot and book your seats.
Also Read: In The Heart Of Secunderabad Lies A 176-YO Parsi Temple With Splendour Architecture & History
Are you up for visiting the Colosseum in Mitawali?
Cover Image Credits: Canva
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