Mundeshwari

Temple

The Mundeshwari Devi Temple (also spelled as Mundesvari) is locat ed at an elevat ion of 608
feet (185 m)[2] on t he Mundeshwari Hills of Kaimur plat eau near Son canal, in t he Indian st at e of
Bihar. It is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) prot ect ed monument since 1915.[3] The ASI
has recent ly dat ed t he st ruct ure t o 108 AD making it t he oldest Hindu t emple in t he
count ry.[4][5][6] An informat ion plaque at t he sit e indicat es t he dat ing of t he t emple at least t o
625 CE and Hindu inscript ions dat ed 635 CE were found in t he t emple.[7] It is an ancient t emple
dedicat ed t o t he worship of Devi Durga and is considered one of t he oldest funct ional Hindu
t emples in India.[8][9][10] The findings also est ablished t hat here was a religious and educat ional
cent er spread over t he hillock and Mandaleshwar (Lord Shiva) t emple was t he main shrine. The
Mandaleshwari (Goddess Parvat i) was on sout hern side. The t emple was damaged and t he idol of
Mandaleshwari (degenerat ed Mundeshwari and lat er connect ed wit h t he myt hical demon Mund)
was kept in t he east ern chamber of main t emple.[11]
 Mundeshwari Temple

Nagara style architecture of the temple.

Religion

Affiliation Hinduism

District Kaimur district

Deity Shiva and Shakthi

Festivals Ramnavami, Shivratri, Navaratra.

Location

Location Paunra Pahad, Ramgarh village

State Bihar

Country India
 Location in Bihar
Show map of India
Show map of Bihar
Show all
Geographic coordinates 24.9833958°N 83.5646939°E (https://geohack.to
olforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Mundeshw
ari_ Temple&params=24.9833958_ N_ 83.5646939
_ E_ type:landmark_ region:IN)

Architecture

Completed 635 CE[1] Hindu inscriptions dated 4th century

AD were found in the temple m.

Specifications

Temple(s) One

Elevation 608 m (1,995 ft)

Website

http://maamundeshwari.org

History
Recovery of a royal seal of Sri Lankan king Dut t hagamani (101-77 BC) from t he place in 2003,
changed t he hist ory. It est ablished t hat a royal pilgrims group or monks from Sri Lanka visit ed t he
place during t heir journey t o Sarnat h from Bodh Gaya t hrough famous Dakshinapat h highway
somet ime bet ween 101 BC t o 77 BC and lost t he seal here. Aft er a st udy of broken
Mundeshwari inscript ion of Brahmi script and it s t wo part s found in 1891 and 1903 by Bloch (Now
joined and kept in Indian Museum, Kolkat a), Dr NG Majumdar and Dr KC Panigrahi st at ed t o be t he
t emple t o be earlier t han 4t h cent ury AD. The exist ence of Naga (serpent ) on four faced
shivalingam, Naga janeu (sacred t hread) on Ganesha idols not found anywhere in India and also on
broken pieces scat t ered around t he hill clearly indicat ed t hat it was a const ruct ion by rulers of
Naga dynast y (110BC t o 315AD) who used serpent as t heir royal sign. Lat er cont rol of Gupt a
dynast y and t he impact of t heir specific Nagra st yle of archit ect ure and Ramgarh Fort and
Ramgarh village near t he hill probable on famous Gupt a ruler Ramgupt a are evidence of t he fact .
Bihar St at e Religious Trust Board organized a nat ional seminar of eminent expert s at Pat na in
2008 and t he dat e of Mundeshwari inscript ion was unanimously fixed 108 AD and was declared
oldest Hindu t emple of t he count ry by t he scholars wit h 2000 years of live worship having it s
past in prehist oric age.

Timelines
…
636-38AD - Chinese visit or Huen Tsang writ es about a shrine on a hill t op flashing light , at
about a dist ance of 200 lee sout h west t o Pat na- The locat ion is only of Mundeshwari.

1790 AD - Daniel brot hers Thomas and William visit ed Mundeshwari t emple and provided it s
first port rait .

1888 AD – Buchanan visit ed t he region in 1813.

1891-92 AD – First part of t he broken Mundeshwari Inscript ion was discovered by Bloch during
a survey by East India Company.

1903 AD – Second part of t he inscript ion was discovered while clearing t he debris around t he
t emple.

2003 AD – Brahmi script royal seal of Sri Lankan king Dut t hagamani (101-77 BC) was
discovered by Varanasi based hist orian Jahnawi Shakhar Roy which changed t he earlier findings
about hist ory of t he place.
 2008 AD - The dat e of t he inscript ion was est ablished 30t h year of Saka era (108AD) by t he
scholars in a nat ional seminar organized for t he purpose by Bihar St at e Religious Trust Board at
Pat na.[4][5][6]

Deity

The worship of Devi Durga in t he form of Devi Mundeshwari in t he t emple is also indicat ive of
t ant ric cult of worship, which is pract iced in East ern India.[8]

Religious significance

Religious folklore says t hat Chanda and Munda who were full brot hers and chieft ains of demon
Mahishasura were rulers of t he area. Mahishasura fought decisive bat t le wit h Goddess Durga as
ment ioned in Durga Shapt shat i. Munda made goddess Mundeshwari Bhawani t emple while his
younger brot her Chanda made Chandeshwari t emple at t op of Madurana hill near Chainpur.

Mahabharat a ment ioned t hat Guru Dronacharya has been made t he ruler of Ahikshat ra (region of
serpent s) spread over Ahinaura, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Kaimur region of present t imes, as a fee
for educat ing Kaurava and Pandavas. Udaysena, t he ruler ment ioned in t he inscript ion had
similarit y wit h Naga dynast y rulers Nagsen, Veersen et c. The exist ence of 52 Pur (villages) of
Nagvanshi Rajpoot s also indicat e about t heir long cont rol over t he area.

Rit uals and worship have been performed here wit hout a break, hence Mundeshwari is considered
one of t he most ancient Hindu t emples in India. The t emple is visit ed by a large number of
pilgrims each year, part icularly during t he Ramnavami, Shivrat ri fest ivals.[8] A big annual fair (mela)
is held nearby during t he Navarat ra visit ed by t housands.[12]

Architecture

The t emple, built of st one, is on an oct agonal plan which is rare. It is t he earliest specimen of t he
Nagara st yle of t emple archit ect ure in Bihar. There are doors or windows on four sides and small
niches for t he recept ion of st at ues in t he remaining four walls.[13] The t emple shikhara or t ower
has been dest royed. However, a roof has been built , as part of renovat ion work. The int erior walls
have niches and bold mouldings which are carved wit h vase and foliage designs. At t he ent rance
t o t he t emple, t he door jambs are seen wit h carved images of Dvarapalas, Ganga, Yamuna and
many ot her murt is. The main deit ies in t he sanct um sanct orum of t he t emple are of t he Devi
Mundeshwari and Chaturmukh (four faced) Shiva linga. There are also t wo st one vessels of
unusual design.[14] Even t hough t he Shiva linga is inst alled in t he cent re of t he sanct um, t he main
presiding deit y is Devi Mundeshwari deified inside a niche, which is seen wit h t en hands holding
symbols riding a buffalo, at t ribut ed t o Mahishasuramardini.[15] The t emple also has murt is of
ot her popular gods such as Ganesha, Surya and Vishnu. A subst ant ial part of t his st one st ruct ure
has been damaged, and many st one fragment s are seen st rewn around t he t emple. However,
under t he jurisdict ion of ASI, it has been t he subject of archaeological st udy for quit e some
t ime.[3][8][16][17]

Renovation and restoration

The plate at the site of the Temple gives a dates of 625 CE for the Temple. Hindu inscriptions dated 635 CE were found in
the temple.

The Archaeological Survey of India has rest ored t he t emple under inst ruct ion from t he Union
Minist ry of Cult ure. Rest orat ive works included t he removal of soot from t he t emple int erior via a
chemical t reat ment , repair of damage t o religious murt i (idol) and cat aloging and document at ion
of scat t ered fragment s for lat er reuse. Ot her works included inst allat ion of solar powered
light ing, displays for ant iquit ies and provision of public amenit ies. The Government of Bihar has
allocat ed Rs 2 crore t o improve access t o t he t emple.[18][17]

How to reach

It can be reached by road via Pat na, Gaya, or Varanasi. The nearest railway st at ion is at Mohania -
Bhabua Road railway st at ion from where t he t emple is 22 km by road.[16]

Lal Bahadur Shast ri Int ernat ional Airport , Varanasi is t he nearest airport , locat ed at a dist ance of
102 km from t he Temple. Indian carriers including Air India, Spicejet , and int ernat ional carriers like
Air India, Thai Airways Int ernat ional, Korean Air and Naaz Airlines operat e from here. Daily flight s t o
Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkat a are available from here.

References

1. The information plaque erected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the site indicates the
dating of the temple to 635 CE but the Bihar State Religious Trust Board fixed its date in 108 AD.

2. "Alphabetical List of Monuments – Bihar" (https://web.archive.org/web/20111103035254/http://asi.nic.

in/asi_monu_alphalist_bihar.asp) . Serial number 62. Archaeological Survey of India. Archived from the
original (http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_bihar.asp) on 2011-11-03. Retrieved 2011-06-03.

3. "BSBRT to renovate Mundeshwari temple" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120614053655/http://article

s.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-01-01/patna/27781342_1_mundeshwari-bsbrt-asi) . The Times of
India. 1 January 2011. Archived from the original (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-01-
01/patna/27781342_1_mundeshwari-bsbrt-asi) on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2011.

4. "Mundeshwari Temple: Department of Tourism, Bihar Government" (https://tourism.bihar.gov.in/en/desti

nations/kaimur/mundeshwari-devi-temple) .

5. "Bihar: India's 'oldest serving deity' invoked for quake protection" (https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi
a/bihar-india-s-oldest-serving-deity-invoked-for-quake-protection/story-ueZArQa2gT8BOf4DiKWuEL.ht
ml) . Hindustan Times. 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2021-09-18.

. "Bihar govt to develop country's oldest temple" (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/bihar-govt-to-dev

elop-countrys-oldest-temple/articleshow/2709831.cms?from=mdr) . The Economic Times. Retrieved
2021-09-18.
 7. L.S.S. O`malley (2005). Bihar And Orissa Gazetteers Shahabad (https://books.google.com/books?id=ift
aR6DVxIAC&pg=PR1) . Concept Publishing Company. pp. 36, 157. ISBN 978-81-7268-122-7. Retrieved
4 June 2011.

. bihar-india-bihar-all-regions-of-bihar.html "Ma Mundeshwari Temple in Kaimur, Bihar" (https://web.archiv

e.org/web/20181109050122/http://www.templeshindu.com/608-ma-mundeshwari-temple-in-kaimur-,)
Check |archive-url= value (help). Hindu Temples. Archived from the original (http://www.templeshi
ndu.com/608-ma-mundeshwari-temple-in-kaimur-,bihar-india-bihar-all-regions-of-bihar.html) on 9
November 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2011.

9. "Film on 'oldest' surviving temple of Gupta Age" (https://web.archive.org/web/20111105052617/http://a

rticles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-12/patna/29649899_1_temple-site-film-ancient-structur
e) . The Times of India. 12 June 2011. Archived from the original (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatime
s.com/2011-06-12/patna/29649899_1_temple-site-film-ancient-structure) on 5 November 2011.

10. "Bihar to develop 'oldest' temple" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120913042742/http://articles.timesofi

ndia.indiatimes.com/2008-01-18/patna/27760152_1_temple-inscriptions-vaishno-devi) . The Times of
India. 18 January 2008. Archived from the original (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-01
-18/patna/27760152_1_temple-inscriptions-vaishno-devi) on 13 September 2012.

11. Neuss, Jürgen (2003). "The Temple of Mundesvari: Reconsidering the Evidence" (https://www.academia.
edu/3110731/The_Temple_of_Mu%E1%B9%87%E1%B8%8De%C5%9Bvar%C4%AB_Reconsidering_the_Evi
dence) . Berliner Indologische Studien: 531–585.

12. "Temples and Legends of Bihar, Mundeshwari" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160422023155/http://w

ww.hindubooks.org/temples/bihar/mundesvari/page11.htm) . Hindubooks.org. p. 11. Archived from
the original (http://www.hindubooks.org/temples/bihar/mundesvari/page11.htm) on 22 April 2016.
Retrieved 5 June 2011.

13. "Mundesvari" (http://www.hindubooks.org/temples/bihar/mundesvari/page1.htm) . Hindu Books.org.

Retrieved 5 June 2011.

14. "Mundeshwari temple" (https://archive.today/20130125001030/http://picasaweb.google.com/arusinha/

Mundeshwari#5100285941695284674) . Plaque by Archaeological Survey of India. Archived from the
original (http://picasaweb.google.com/arusinha/Mundeshwari#5100285941695284674) on 25
January 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2011.

15. "Mundesvari" (http://www.hindubooks.org/temples/bihar/mundesvari/page7.htm) . Hindu Books.org.

Retrieved 5 June 2011.
1 . "Maa Mundeshwari Mandir" (https://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=15995543426719074210&q=M
aa+Mundeshwary+Mandir&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=25.228547,83.122559&spn=0,0&t=h&z=10) .
Google.com. Retrieved 4 June 2011.

17. "Facelift to the Mundeshwari temple" (https://archive.today/20130125174529/http://www.hindustantim

es.com/Facelift-to-the-Mundeshwari-temple/Article1-363003.aspx) . Hindustan Times. 3 January
2011. Archived from the original (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Facelift-to-the-Mundeshwari-temple/
Article1-363003.aspx) on January 25, 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2011.

1 . "Govt to develop Ma Mundeshwari Temple" (http://www.bihartimes.in/news08/Jan/19jan3.html) .

Bihar Times. 19 January 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media relat ed t o Mundeshwari Temple.

About t he t emple (ht t p://www.hindu-blog.com/2008/01/mundeshwari-t emple-in-bihar-is-it .ht

ml)

Album (ht t ps://archive.t oday/20130125001030/ht t p://picasaweb.google.com/arusinha/Munde

shwari)

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Mundeshwari_Temple&oldid=1059396080"

Last edited 8 days ago by BattyBot