Unique Ranipur-Jharial temples, Odisha, now monuments of ''National'' importance

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The twin sites of Ranipur-Jharial, Odisha is a haven for heritage and monument hunters. A sleepy village, once a site of glory and grandeur, representing the cradle of temples of different architecture, deviating from the ones in Tamil Nadu or Kerala or any other Indian states. There are at least a dozen ancient monuments on rock outcrops near-by, an amazing one being the circular roofless Chausathi Yogini temple that is believed to have been built by the Somavamsi rulers in the 8th/9th Century AD.

Ranipur-Jharial monuments, Odjshawitter.com/

Located in the ancient trade route connecting Titlagarh and the erstwhile Madhya Bharat is a group of temples, dating to a time period between the 8th and the 11th centuries, the sites also house the famous Chausath Yogini temple, a centrally-protected monument. The ancient complex was found to have over 120 temples according to the ASI's report of 1876. The site is surrounded by a group of historically important sites like Podagarh, Asurgarh, Belkhandi, Saintala, Narisinghnath, Maraguda, and Patnagarh. Actually way back in 2014 a proposal to recognize the ancient temple complex as one of national importance was submitted to the Culture Ministry.

Yogini temple is already a centrally-protected site, the ASI's notification sought central protection to the Somesvara group of temples and its adjoining monuments in Jharial, and the Indralath temple, remains of the Kapileswar Mahadev temple and the remains of the Dhabaleswar Mahadev temple in Ranipur. Here. temples are dedicated to various deities, including trinity Gods Shiva, Vishnu and Yogini. A fascinating features of these temples is they were all built in different architectural styles like rekha, khakara, pidha and hypaethral native to this region and are made of different types of building material such a granite, sandstone, bricks, stucco, etc, depending on the availability and needs.

In June 2016 the Center declared the temples of Odisha's Ranipur-Jharial (Balangir district) and their adjoining ruins, as monuments of national importance. In January 2019, the ASI officially declared that a group of temples at Ranipur-Jharail as monuments of ''National'' importance. ASI also declared 5 other monuments on the national level.

Located 104 kms away from Balangir town to the south west are the rock outcrops that house the shrine of presiding deity of 64 Yoginis. Ranipur Jarial known as “Soma Tirth” in scriptures. Such a site is a rare one in India because in this unique, you will be surprised to see a combination of religious faiths of Saivism, Budhism, Vaisnavism and Tantrism, all in the same place. No where in India have I heard about a historical site that represents all faiths related to Hinduism. Indeed, the innovative builders of such temples had a different approach to religious worship. It clearly suggests that Saivism, Vaisnavism, Buddhism and Tantrism had an immense influence on the people of this region in the past.

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https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-odisha-temples-get-national-importance-status-2474120