Oldest Temple In The World Hindu – There was a time when Sanatan Hindu religion was widely prevalent. Now the situation has changed. There were hundreds of ancient temples in India but they were demolished during the Mughal period. However, even today many ancient temples of Hindus remain in the country and the world. Know about the major temples among them (Oldest Hindu Temple In The World) –
Oldest Temple In The World Hindu (World’s Oldest Hindu Temple)
Mundeshwari Devi Temple
In our country, you will find temples 1 to 1,500 years old, such as Kailash Temple of Ajanta-Ellora, Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, Vishnu Temple built in Tirupati city, Angkor Wat Temple of Cambodia etc. But as proof of the oldest temple, the temple of Mundeshwari Devi is considered, which was built in 108 AD. Mundeshwari Devi Temple is situated at a height of 608 feet on Pavara Hill in Bhagwanpur region of Kaimur district of Bihar. It was established in 108 AD during the reign of Huvishka. Shiva and Parvati are worshipped here. There is mention of this temple being in existence in 635. According to some, according to the inscription found from the temple, it was built during the reign of Uday Sen.
Hindu Temple of Angkor Wat
There is a huge Hindu temple in Angkor Wat of Cambodia which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was earlier called Angkoryom and before that Yashodpur. Cambodia has been called Kambuj in ancient writings. Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarma II of Kambuj (1049-66 AD) and this temple is dedicated to Vishnu. Angkor Wat was the capital of Cambodia during the reign of Jayavarma II (1181-1205 AD). It was counted among the great cities of the world in its time. This is the largest temple of Hindus, whose architecture is worth seeing. The height of the central peak of the temple is 213 feet from the ground level. After this, the Jagannath temple is considered the tallest temple.
Prambanan Temple (Central Java Indonesia)
Prambanan is a Hindu temple located in Central Java, Indonesia. In ancient times, the state religion of Indonesia used to be Hindu and then Buddhism. But after the rise of Islam, it is now a Muslim nation. This temple dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva was built in the 9th century as per belief. Religious stories and magnificent carvings are engraved on the walls of the temple.
Munneswaram Temple (Munneswaram, Sri Lanka)
The history of Munneswaram Temple is linked to the Ramayana period. Munneswaram
There are five temples in the temple complex, out of which the largest and most beautiful temple is of Lord Bholenath. It is said that the Portuguese tried to attack and damage this temple twice, but they could not cause any harm to the temple. According to Sri Lankan beliefs, Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva at this place after killing Ravana.
Char Dham Temple
Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Dwarka (Gujarat), Jagannathpuri (Orissa) and Rameshwar (Tamil Nadu) are called Bada Char Dham. The pilgrimage to these places has special significance in Hinduism. These places are considered to be the most ancient and the temples located here are also considered to be very ancient. However, after the destruction of the temples of these places by the ravages of time and invaders, the work of reconstruction has also been going on here. But all the temples located here in their present form were built between the 9th and 11th centuries.
Somnath Temple
The temple of Somnath is considered to be the most ancient because it is also mentioned in the Rigveda. Historians believe that the Rigveda was composed between 7000 and 1500 BC i.e. 9 thousand years ago. UNESCO has included 30 manuscripts of Rigveda from 1800 to 1500 BC in the list of cultural heritage. It is noteworthy that in the list of 158 UNESCO’s important manuscripts, the list of India’s 38 manuscripts is. However, this temple was destroyed by invaders and the temple that is there now is not very old.
Shani Shingnapur
There are many temples of Suryaputra Shanidev in the country. One of the main ones is the Shani temple of Shingnapur located in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The specialty of this world famous Shani temple is that the stone idol of Shanidev located here is seated on a marble platform under the open sky without any umbrella or dome. This temple is also considered to be very ancient. No one knows its antiquity.
Changu Narayan Temple in Kathmandu
This pagoda style temple has many masterpieces of Nepali art of the 5th and 12th centuries. According to legends, Changu Narayan Temple came into existence in 325 AD during the time of Licchavi King Hari Datta Varma and is historically and artistically one of the richest structures in Nepal. Its premises contain a very important stone pillar inscription, which records the military exploits of King Mandev, who ruled from 496 AD to 524 AD. The first epigraphic evidence of Nepali history found in the temple premises during the reign of Licchavi King Mandev dates back to 464 AD, indicating that Changu was established as a sacred place as early as the 3rd century AD. This is the oldest inscription known in Nepal. The temple was renovated during the lifetime of Ganga Rani, wife of Shivasingh Malla, who ruled from 1585 to 1614.
Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar
The capital of Odisha, Bhubaneswar is a city of temples, many of which are architecturally significant. The largest of these, the Lingaraj Temple, is almost a thousand years old. Bhubaneswar, Konark and Puri form the Golden Triangle of Odisha, visited by a large number of pilgrims and tourists.
This 180 feet high magnificent temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered to be the finest example of pure Hindu style of temple architecture. The Lingaraj Temple has a jagamohan, natamandir, bhogamandapa and is surrounded by a 7 feet thick wall. The huge courtyard of the temple is filled with more than 100 shrines. The idols in this temple belong to the Somvanshis dating back to 1014 AD.
Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
Built in 1002 AD by King Rajaraja Chola, this temple was dedicated to Shiva and is a fine example of Dravidian art. The Brihadeeswarar Temple combines the best in the tradition of temple building – architecture, sculpture, painting and other allied arts. It is made up of several interconnected structures like the Nandi mandapa, a pillared portico and a large hall. Its vimana (roof-like structure that stands above the sanctum sanctorum or the main temple) is 66 meters high.
Kailash Temple, Ellora
The Kailash Temple at Ellora was built to dedicate itself to Lord Shiva, the destroyer. It is a tribute to the greatness of man, even though academics have not given it a proper place in our school history curriculum. The Kailash Temple was carved in perfect proportion and alignment with the surrounding structures of the temple, which include pillars, stone arches, flying bridges and statues and buildings etc. – all carved out of a single piece of rock.
Chennakeshava Temple, Karnataka
Located on the banks of the Yagachi River, this temple was an early masterpiece of the Hoysala period, built by the Vijayanagara ruler to commemorate his victory over the Cholas and is entirely dedicated to Vishnu as most of the figures depict aspects of Vishnu, especially the avatars and the Lord seated with Lakshmi
Tunganath Temple, Uttarakhand
At an elevation of 3680 m above sea level, the Tunganath temple is the highest of the Panch Kedars, the others being Madhyamaheshwar, Kedarnath, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar. This temple is associated with Ramayana where Lord Rama meditated after killing Ravana to get rid of the curse of brahmahatya. The temple is quite small, so only 10 people are allowed inside at a time.
Adi Kumbeswarar, Tamil Nadu
Located in the temple town of Kumbakonam in India, the Adi Kumbeswarar temple belongs to the Vijayanagara period. Adi Kumbeswarar is the main deity of the temple and the shrine is located in the middle. In the form of Kumbheswara Lingam, it is believed to have been created by Shiva himself by mixing the nectar of immortality and sand.
Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Tamil Nadu
This temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Harinarayana (Vishnu) located in the holy city of Kanchipuram. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu believed to have been visited by the 12 poet saints or Alvars. It is believed that the lizard statues adorning the roof of the temple forgive the sins of your previous life when touched.
Konark Sun Temple, Odisha
Konark is also known as Konaditya. The name Konark is derived from the words Kona – corner and Arka – sun; it is located on the north eastern corner of Puri or Chakrakshetra. Konark is also known as Arkshetra.
As the name suggests, Surya (the Sun God) is worshipped in the temple. The entire temple is made of black granite, which is also known as the Black Pagoda. The temple was built by King Narasimhadeva I, belonging to the Ganga dynasty, who ruled Konark from 1236 to 1264 AD. The temple has earned the distinction of being one of the world heritage sites of the world. This is due to the unique architectural style of the temple, which is made entirely of stone and has fine carvings on the stone.
Pancharatna Mandir, Bankura, West Bengal
Built by King Raghunath Singha in 1643, the temple stands on a low square plinth and has a walkable path, with a verandah opening from three arches around it. The walls are decorated with terracotta carvings depicting aspects of Lord Krishna’s life.
Badami Cave Temples, Karnataka
The Badami Cave Temples are a complex of temples located in Badami, a town in the Bagalkot district in the northern part of Karnataka, India. They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, particularly Badami Chalukya architecture.
Vitthala Temple, Hampi, Karnataka
Perhaps the most popular of all the temples in the Hampi complex, it has the famous musical pillars that have amazing acoustics. The British wanted to know the reason behind this, so they cut down two of the pillars to check if there was something inside that was making the sound. They found nothing but hollow pillars.
The road leading to the Vitthala Temple was once a marketplace. There was a time when horses were traded here. Even today, one can see the ruins of the market on both sides of the road.
Orchha Temple, Madhya Pradesh
Orchha is another famous tourist destination located near the famous Khajuraho Temple. The city has Chaturbhuj Temple, Lakshmi Temple and Ram Raja Temple.
Chaturbhuj Temple is built on a high platform with tall shikharas. The exterior of the Chaturbhuj Temple is decorated with lotus symbols. Raja Ram Temple resembles a palace as Ram is worshipped as a king here.
Lakshmi Temple is a strange mixture of temple and fort and is a unique blend of concentric forms. It has an octagonal central tower inside a triangular temple. In keeping with this peculiarity, the entrance is set in the corner instead of the wall.