Ranipur Jharial-Chausathi Yogini

Ranipur Jharial

Ranipur-Jharial The 9th-century Indralath temple,  The Chausathi Yogini shrine houses idols of 64 deities and a Bramha temple. The Someswar Mahadev temple bears immense historical value. The large Yantras, carved on the rock, are the main attractions of this archaeologically important site.

The temple situated in Ranipur Jharial in Bangomunda Block Titilagarh sub-division in Balangir district,  It was supposed that Indra first worshipped lord Shiva here and erected a temple.the twin villages of Ranipur-Jharial bear strong traces of their ancient heritage. Also known as 'Soma Tirtha' in scriptures, the archaeological site dates back to the 9th/10th century AD, pertaining to the reign of Somavanshi keshari kings.Saivism, Vaisnavism, Buddhism and Tantrism obviously enjoyed a great deal of influence in the region.

Indralath Temple

The Indralath Temple Ranipur Jharial Being a brick temple, the time built can be traced to the early 7th century. Images of Nrisimha, Vishnu along with Ganesh, Kartikeya clearly proves that it was a centre for Harihara worship. Every year Shivaratri and other festivals related to Shiva and Vishnu are organised. Daily worship is done by some local priest.The Indralath temple Ranipur Jharial is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India.

A unique structure, the Indralath temple of Ranipur-Jharial is one of the tallest ancient brick temples in the country. Height of this temple is 80 feet including the platform that is made off sandstone. While the ancient pinnacle of this temple is destroyed, the temple is more or less intact. The innermost sanctum of this temple houses a recently installed Linga. Besides, it has also the images of Lord Vishnu, Kartikeya, Uma-Maheshwara, and Narasingha.

Indralath, the majestic brick temple is said to be the highest brick temple of Odisha. 

64 Yogini TempleChausathi Yogini Temple Ranipur Jharial

64 Yogini Temple Chausathi Yogini temple Ranipur Jharial

The Chausathi Yogini shrine found in Ranipur-Jharial is a rock structure in round shape. It houses idols of 64 Hindu deities, known as yoginis. The shrine also has a rock statue with a perch at the centre, which is claimed as the idol of Lord Brahma. Importantly, unlike temples of other deities, Brahma shrine is rarely found.

Someshwar Mahadev Temple Ranipuar Jharial

The Someshwar Mahadev temple in Ranipur-Jharial has idols of Goddess Durga, a bull (transporter of Lord Shiva), and a Dwarapal. On the lintel of the entrance to the innermost room (Garbhagriha), Goddess Gajalaxmi is also seen by the side of the Shivalinga. On the entrance wall, a deity, possibly a Buddha or a Siddha in dhyana-mudra, is found.Ranipur Jharial is mentioned as ‘Soma Tirtha’ in the scriptures. Perhaps it takes the name from the Someshwar Mahadev temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, found on the rocks of this historical site.

Yantras are a religious drawing Ranipur Jharial

Yantras are a religious drawing which is believed to be the abode of the Gods and Goddesses. We know about Shree Yantra, Kuber Yantra, etc. which are drawn on a 2-inch square copper plate to be placed at the worship place in a house. But here in Ranipur, one can witness gigantic yantras carved on the rocks which are a rare sight to witness. These carvings are claimed to be related to Tantra

Facilities 

Hired Boating facility in the nearby river is available in Ranipur Jharial. You can have the spectacular view of the number of temples on the rocks from the water body. A park has also been built here lately that houses a few animals.There is no hotels or eateries right at the destination

Best time to visit

Ranipur Jharial can be visited across the year. However, as such the temperature of Balangir district rises to a considerable extent during summer. Resultantly, the structure at Ranipur-Jharial.

How to Reach

The place Ranipurjharial is located at a distance of 110 kilometers from the district headquarter Balangir. Nearest railway stations are Titilagarh Junction and Kantabanji. If you are setting out from Balangir, move through direct Sate High way Bolangir to Muribahal. Then at Bangomunda take of 8 km to reach the destination.The Nearest airports are Swami Vivekananda International Airport, Raipur (200 K.M) and Biju Pattnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar (250 K.M).

Ranipur Jharial Temple

Ranipur Jharial temple