Most Old Temple In India – Although there are many temples in India whose history and faith associated with temples is amazing, but there are many temples in India which are probably more than a thousand years old.
The faith associated with Hindu culture and temples was quite full in Indian history. Even in the Ramayana and Mahabharata period, there is mention of Gauri Puja and Shivling worship in temples. Rameswaram, which is a well-known pilgrimage site in South India, is considered a pilgrimage site only because of Lord Rama.
However, if some facts are to be believed, earlier people used to worship gods and goddesses. But they did not build any kind of grand temples. The evidence of the construction of temples is most prominent in the Buddhist, Chanakya and Gupta period.
Although India has the oldest Jyotirlinga and Shaktipeeth, but their grand temples were built after a long time. The oldest temple in India is 2 thousand years old. There must have been temples in India even before this, but these temples were destroyed by external invaders.
Let us tell you which are the oldest temples of India, knowing their age you will be surprised.
Most Old Temple In India (Ancient Indian Temples) – India’s Oldest Temple
1) Mundeshwari Temple, Bihar
Mundeshwari Temple located in Kaimur district of Bihar is the oldest temple of India. This temple was built in 108 AD. Since then worship is being done in this temple. Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti are worshipped in this temple. Apart from this, idols of Lord Ganesha, Vishnu, Surya Devi are also present in this temple.
2) Pallava Temple, Tamil Nadu
After the tsunami in Tamil Nadu in the year 2004, two temples were found in Mahabalipuram, 60 km ahead of Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai, out of which the Pallava temple is about 800 years old. While its base is about 2000 years old.
3) Jagatmandir, Gujarat
Jatagandir located in the west of Gujarat is also very old. According to facts, Jagatmandir was rebuilt in 413 AD during the Gupta period. People around have great faith in this temple. Which is also known as Dwarkadhish Temple.
4) Somnath, Gujarat
The temple of Somnath is one of the most important temples of India from the point of view of Hindu faith. Whose history is very old. Somnath temple is also mentioned in the Rigveda. According to facts, the temple of Somnath was built in 1500 BC. Somnath temple is one of the richest temples in India, which was looted by invaders many times in history.
5) Brihadeshwar Temple, Tamil Nadu
The Brihadeshwar Temple of Tamil Nadu is also very old. This temple was built by King Raj Chola 1 between 1003-1010 AD. This temple is also known as the world’s first granite temple.
6) Badrinath Temple, Uttarakhand
Badrinath is also included in the oldest temples of India. Badrinath is also important in Indian culture because it is one of the four Dhams. This temple was built in the 8th century.
7) Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand
Kedarnath Temple is the temple of Lord Shiva in which Indians have great faith. This Kedarnath temple was built between the 10th and 11th centuries.
8) Venkateshwar Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Venkateshwar Temple is one of the oldest temples in India located in Tirupati city of Andhra Pradesh. According to facts, this temple was built in the 10th century. The specialty of this temple is that about 30 thousand tourists from Rome and Mecca come to visit this temple every month. This is because the architecture of this temple is very amazing and unique.
9) Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
The Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one of the 108 Divya Desams. The most beautiful and magnificent temple of South India was built between the sixth and ninth centuries. This temple is spread over 156 acres, which is considered to be the largest Hindu temple in the world.
10) Kumbeswara Temple
A magnificent and grand temple like Adi Kumbeswara Temple is located in Kumbakonam in the state of Tamil Nadu. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple was built in the 9th century, which is spread over a huge area of 30,181 square feet.
11) Brihadisvara Temple
Brihadisvara or Brihadisvara Temple is present in the city of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. Brihadisvara Temple is also dedicated to Lord Shiva. For your information, let us tell you, this temple is also known as Rajarajeswaram or Peruvudaiyar Koil. It is believed that the construction of this beautiful temple was completed in 1010 AD.
12) Kailasa Temple
The Kailasa Temple of Ellora in Maharashtra was built by cutting the rock. It is believed that the rock was cut to build this temple in the 8th century and then this temple was built.
13) Shri Ambarnath Temple
This temple in Mumbai city is also known as Ambeshwar Shiva Temple. This temple was built in 1060 AD. It is believed that this temple was built by the Pandavas by cutting a rock. This historical temple built in the 11th century is located on the banks of the Vadavan River.
14) Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
Located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, about 55 km from Chennai, the Shore Temple is considered to be one of the oldest temples in South India. According to beliefs, this temple was built in the eighth century. This temple is a great example of Dravidian architecture. There is actually a group of three temples here. In the middle is the temple of Lord Vishnu, on both sides of which there are Shiva temples.
15) Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Lingaraja Temple is the largest temple in Bhubaneswar. The temple has special significance for many reasons. It is one of the oldest temples in the city and this temple was built by Somvanshi King Jajati Keshari in the 11th century. This temple is dedicated to Harihara, a form of Lord Shiva and is a major landmark of the city. The huge temple of Lingaraj is famous for its unique architecture. There is a marvel of craftsmanship and sculpture on each stone in the temple.
16) Brahma Temple of Pushkar, Rajasthan
Pushkar is a famous pilgrimage place in Rajasthan. There is a temple of Brahma here, about 11 km from Ajmer. According to beliefs, Brahma came here and performed Yagya. The famous Pushkar fair is organized here on Kartik Purnima. This temple was originally built in the 14th century. The temple has a majestic image of Brahma, four-faced idol of Lord Brahma, seated on a lotus, with his young wife Gayatri sitting on the left and Savitri on the right.
17) Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Tamil Nadu
Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple is located on the banks of the Tamirabharani River. The main deity or “Moolavar” of this temple is Veeraraghavan and the “Utsava Murthi” of the temple is Sri Varadaraja Perumal, after whom the temple is named. This temple was built centuries ago by King Krishnavarma. Sri Varadaraja Perumal was a staunch follower of Sri Varadaraja Perumal. Visiting this temple is a fruitful experience.
18) Badami Temple, Karnataka
The Badami Caves located in Bagalkot, Karnataka are four temples of Hindu and Jain religions famous for their beautiful carvings, artificial lake and craftsmanship. The view of this beautiful temple built by cutting golden sandstone rocks is very attractive. There is a huge statue of Lord Shiva here which is doing Tandava. Here you can also see the statues of Mahishasuramardini, Ganapati, Shivalingam and Shanmukh. Tourists can also see the wall paintings of Lord Shiva and Parvati marriage.
19) Chennakesava Temple, Karnataka
It was built between the 10th and 11th centuries by the Hoysala Sultanate. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
Apart from this, there are many such temples in India whose foundations are years old but which have been rebuilt. However, whether the temple is old or new, the faith of devotees in the temples is the same.