Context
Mundeshvari temple is considered the oldest functional temple in the country and also said to be older than the temples in Banaras.
About the Mundeshvari temple
- Characteristics: The Mundeshwari Devi Templeis located on the Mundeshwari Hills of Kaimur plateau.
- It is located near Son River, Bihar.
- It is protected by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) since 1915.
- The existence of Naga (serpent) on four faced shivalingam, Naga janeu (sacred thread) on Ganesha idols not found anywhere in India and also on broken pieces scattered around the hill clearly indicated that it was a construction by rulers of Naga dynasty (110BC to 315AD) who used serpent as their royal sign.
- It is an ancient temple dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and Shakti.
- A royal seal of Sri Lankan king Dutthagamani (101-77 BC) was also recovered from here in
- Historical Significance: It is said the goddess installed in the Mundeshvari temple might well have been a deity worshipped originally by the aboriginal population, described in the Vedic and post-Vedic texts as asura and daitya.
- Temple design
- It is a sandstone Shiva temple built to an octagonal plan.
- It is the earliest specimen of the Nagara style of temple architecture in Bihar.
- It has four doorways opening out in the cardinal directions and large central niches flanked by smaller side niches on each of the interceding walls.
- It stretches 14m across from door to opposite door.
- It combined with its truncated roof and heavy base mouldings.
- The main deities in the sanctum sanctorum are of the Devi Mundeshwari and Chaturmukh (four faced) Shiva linga.
- There are deities installed in the open as well.
Temple architecture
