The Mundeshwari Temple in Bihar, India stands as the world’s oldest functional Hindu temple, tracing its origins back to 108 CE according to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Dedicated to Lord Shiva and Shakti, it also enshrines idols of Ganesha, Surya, and Vishnu, making it a revered site for devotees. Renowned for its Nagara style of architecture, the temple holds significant historical and religious importance.

Having travelled numerous times from Ranchi to Prayagraj, a substantial portion of my journey follows National Highway No. N2 (NH 2). Despite passing through Mohania on previous occasions, I had never diverted to visit the Mundeshwari Dwar. However, on this trip, accompanying my son Judhajit to visit my ailing father-in-law in Prayagraj, we decided to make a detour to explore the Mundeshwari (also spelt Mundeshvari) temple on our return journey.

Nestled on the Mundeshwari Hills near the Son River in Bihar’s Kaimur district, the temple has enjoyed protected status since 1915 and remains a magnet for pilgrims and tourists alike. Its distinctive octagonal shape and Nagara architectural style distinguish it, with the main shrine housing a four-faced lingam representing Shiva as Viniteswara, while the goddess Mundeshwari or Durga resides in a niche on one wall. Additionally, the temple features a circular yoni-pitha adorned with eight petals.

In Hindu spirituality, Ashtadal, or the “eight-petaled lotus,” holds profound significance. Each petal symbolizes different attributes associated with the Ashtamatrika goddesses, integral to various Hindu traditions, particularly in Shaktism. These goddesses, with their individual powers, are revered across India, embodying divine energies linked to cardinal directions.

The Ashtamatrika goddesses and their respective petal associations on the Ashtadal are as follows:

1. Brahmani (ब्राह्मणी) – East
2. Maheshwari (माहेश्वरी) – Southeast
3. Kaumari (कौमारी) – South
4. Vaishnavi (वैष्णवी) – Southwest
5. Varahi (वाराही) – West
6. Indrani (इन्द्राणी) – Northwest
7. Chamunda (चामुण्डा) – North
8. Narasimhi (नरसिंही) – Northeast

These goddesses are revered in various parts of India, and their worship is an integral part of the local traditions and rituals. They are considered protectors and divine forces representing the energies of the cardinal directions.

Perched atop Piwara hill, with an elevation of approximately 608 feet (185 meters), the Mundeshwari Temple commands a striking presence. Situated around 14 km from Bhabhua, the district headquarters of Kaimur, and approximately 35 km from Mohania on NH2, the temple is accessible via a well-maintained branch road. During our visit, traffic was minimal due to local polling activities, allowing us to enjoy a smooth journey to this ancient and sacred site.

At the foothill, we paid INR 20 (USD 0.27) as the car entry fee and started driving up the hill, full of green trees and foliage. It was a nice drive up the hill, with a few hairpin bends and steep slopes.

We parked our car on reaching the gate of the temple premises and washed our hands, feet, and faces there before climbing up the temple hill. After buying some puja samagri, we climbed up the stairs to reach main the temple. Due to polling for the state legislative assembly, there was no rush at the temple.

The Temple

Mundeshwari temple on the summit of an isolated hill about 600 feet high is the earliest specimen of Nagara type of temple architecture in Bihar. On the eastern slope of the hills, there has been a find of a number of statues and rock-carved figures. It is clear that the hill was once the site for a cluster of temples and the Mundeshwari temple was the main shrine. They include mostly representations of Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha, Mahishasura Mardini Durga, Surya, Kartikeya,

The temple is unique with its octagonal plan similar to the Shankaracharya temple at Srinagar, bold masonry and beautiful carvings. The eight sides represent the eight cardinal and intermediate directions. There is some fine latticed stonework on the northern window and the temple door facing the porch, is a fine specimen of architecture with various figures of dancers and musicians.

The temple once had four entrances containing exquisitely carved door frames, bearing, on the lower portions of the door jambs, the usual figures of river goddesses on the eastern side, two figures of Shiva on the western one, a representation of Durga and female figure on the northern side, and the dwarapalas or doorkeepers on the southern. The original roof of the temple, which was probably pyramidal in shape, is lost – probably collapsed – and now replaced by a flat roof of stone flags. At the entrance to the temple, the door jambs are seen with carved images of Dwarapalas, Ganga, Yamuna, and many other murtis (images). 

What sets the Mundeshwari Temple apart is its unique architectural style. It combines elements of both Hindu and Buddhist architecture, showcasing a fusion of these two religious traditions. This architectural blend is reflective of the cultural diversity and historical evolution of the region.

The temple’s archaeological and historical importance is underscored by its unique design and construction. It features a circular sanctum with a shikhara (tower) on top, which is a distinct architectural feature found in early Indian temples. The use of circular design elements is believed to be inspired by Buddhist architecture, and it sets this temple apart from more common Hindu temple structures.

We worshipped and prayed inside the temple. The selection of the date was accidental, but it helped us. The day was after the auspicious Navaratra period and it was the polling date in that area, which made our visit calm and peaceful.

Photography inside the temple is not permitted.

Shaivism became the predominant religion in the seventh century AD, and Viniteswara emerged as the temple’s presiding deity. Traditionally, the Chatur Mukhalingam (Lingam with four faces) represents him in the temple, and it still occupies the centre. The colour of the stone this Chaturmukhi Shiva linga has been constructed with a special stone, which changes its colour along with the position of the sun and stone. 

The Cheros tribe ascended to power after this period, as the original occupants of the Kaimur hills. Cheros worshipped Shakti through Mundeswari, also known as Maheshmardini and Durga. The temple was dedicated to Mundeswari as its main deity. Mukhalingam, however, remained the temple’s centre of worship. The Durga image was installed in a niche on one wall of the temple, where it remains to this day, while Mukhalingam remains in a central position as the subsidiary deity.

The idol of Mundeshwari is not typical of that of Mahisha Mardini. Mundeshwari deity has ten hands bearing the usual weapons of a Mahisha Mardini but with a difference that she is not in the act of killing Mahishasura, the demon (Daitya) in the shape of a buffalo but she is shown as riding a buffalo representing a demon.

A large image of Ganesha is found half buried in the ruins of a small temple in the way leading to the top of the hill and might have been one of the Parshva-devatas originally enshrined in one of the side chambers of the Mundeshwari temple.

In the course of clearance of the debris, numerous carved pieces and sculptures were found which can be seen lying in the premises. They include mostly representations of Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha, Mahishasuramardini Durga, Surya, Kartikeya, etc. The statue of Vishal Nandi is on the west side of the main entrance.

Round about the Mundeshwari temple, there are several half amalaks. The Shikhara of the temple is not in existence but a fragment of the amalaka originally crowning the spire is still lying in the site.

An amalaka is a segmented or notched stone disk, usually with ridges on the rim, that sits on the top of a Hindu temple’s shikhara or main tower. According to one interpretation, the amalaka represents a lotus, and thus the symbolic seat for the deity below.

The Legend

The Mundeshwari Temple boasts a rich history intertwined with captivating legends. According to one tale, King Surath of Mithila, seeking to reclaim his lost kingdom, was advised by a sage to worship Shiva and Shakti. Directed by the sage to erect a temple where he witnessed a divine light, King Surath constructed the temple atop the Mundeshwari Hills. As a symbol of divine power, he also placed a chakra, or discus, atop the temple, believed to possess miraculous abilities.

The origin of the name “Mundeshwari” is steeped in mystery, often associated with the legendary figure Munda, a Daitya mentioned in the Puranas alongside Chanda. Some local legends suggest Munda and Chanda, described as military commanders of the Daitya kings Shumbha and Nishumbha, met their demise at the hands of Devi Durga, also known as Chamunda. This association is reflected in the temple’s name, drawing from the names of the Daitya brothers.

Another intriguing legend proposes that the temple was constructed by Parashurama, an incarnation of Vishnu. Seeking penance for the regretful act of slaying his mother Renuka at his father Jamadagni’s command, Parashurama performed rigorous rituals on the Mundeshwari Hills, venerating Shiva and Shakti. As a testament to his devotion, he is said to have created Parashurama Kund, a lake in the vicinity of the temple.

The Unique Ritual

The Mundeshwari Temple is renowned for its enigmatic practice of Ahinshak Bali, or non-violent sacrifice, which perplexes and astonishes visitors from around the world. Unlike traditional sacrifices involving the killing of animals, this unique ritual ensures the well-being of the sacrificial animal.

Such a sacrificial method, unheard of elsewhere, left me questioning its nature and significance. Upon inquiry, I learned that instead of taking the life of the animal, the temple priest gently lays it down and places a flower upon it while reciting sacred mantras.

Remarkably, as the flower is laid upon the animal, it enters a state of unconsciousness, remaining motionless until the flower is removed. After the completion of the rituals or pooja, the flower is taken away, and the animal regains consciousness, seemingly unharmed by the experience. The mechanics behind this phenomenon remain a mystery, sparking wonder and speculation among observers.

Despite the lack of a concrete explanation, devotees who visit the temple attribute this phenomenon to the blessings of Maa Mundeshwari, finding solace and reverence in this extraordinary practice.

The History

There was an inscription on a stone slab at the temple, which had broken into two pieces, one of which was found in 1892, and the other in 1903 by Bloch in the course of clearance of the debris. Both the pieces are now in the Indian Museum, Kolkata. It was edited by Rakhal Das Banerji, an archaeologist and officer of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1907 and by Nani Gopal Majumdar, another archaeologist and officer of ASI in 1920. The inscription refers to King Udayasena and to the date 30 of an unspecified era.

Banerji took the year 30 to refer to the Harsha era commencing from 606 CE and assigned the epigraph to 636 CE, which was also included as the date in the original Gazetteers of Shahabad in 1906 and 1924. Dr. Banerji’s view was however not shared by others. Mr. N G Mazumdar studied the paleographic peculiarities of the inscription and referred to the year 30 to the Gupta era 318-19 CE and held the date of the inscription to 348-49 CE. Dr. Devadatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar, an archaeologist and epigraphist with ASI, also considered the inscription to be much earlier than the fourth century CE.

BHU historian Dr. Jahnawi Shakhar Roy found a Ceylonese seal while walking on a field adjacent to the hill near Mundeshwari temple. The pyramid-shaped stone seal with inscriptions in Brahmi script along with the photograph also mentioned in one of Roy’s articles in a Numismatic Society of India journal published in 2004.

The discovery of a royal seal of the Sri Lankan ruler Maharaja Dutthagamani at the site in 2003 has taken back the history of the region by several centuries. Dr. Roy sent the seal to the Sampoornanand Sanskrit University at Varanasi for deciphering. The linguistic experts there concluded that the seal belonged to “Maharaju Duthgamini”, who according to “Mahavansh Granthawali” in Buddhist literature, belonged to the Anuradhapur dynasty and ruled Ceylon between 104-77 BCE.

Chinese visitor Huen Tsang wrote (636-638 CE) about a shrine on a hilltop flashing light, at about a distance of 200 li southwest of Patna — the location is only of Mundeshwari. Li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance. The li has varied considerably over time but was usually about one-third of an English mile and now has a standardized length of a half-kilometre (500 meters or 1,640 feet).

The existence of Naga (serpent) on four-faced shiva lingam, 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 (110 BCE to 315 CE) who used serpent as their royal sign.

According to modern scholars, the inscription has a reference to Udaysena, who is believed to be a satrap of Pataliputra in Shaka Samvat year 30 whom the Kushanas had made the ruler. The Hindu Saka calendar began in 78 CE with the Saka Era. Shaka Samvat year 30 when juxtaposed with the Gregorian calendar coincides with 108 CE by that account. Further, the script also corresponds to the Shaka times, and prior to the Gupta age. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) now dates the temple to 108 CE.

It is also remarkable that this temple appears to have been left unmolested when Muslim rule under Sher Shah was set up in this area. The neighbouring Chainpur fort was one of the citadels of Sher Shah and the Muslim pockets in the neighbouring villages suggest that a much larger Muslim population had lived in the area when Muslim rule was predominant. The ravages to Mundesvari are not man-made but due to the passage of time.

P.C. Roy Chaudhury, State Editor of the District Gazetteers

The temple has witnessed many changes and invasions over the centuries, but it has never stopped functioning as a place of worship. It is said that rituals and ceremonies have been performed here without a break since its inception. The temple celebrates many festivals throughout the year, such as Ramnavami, Shivratri and Navaratra. The devotees offer prayers, flowers, fruits and sweets to the deities and seek their blessings.

The Mundeshwari Temple is not only a religious site but also a cultural and educational hub. It has many inscriptions, sculptures and paintings that depict various aspects of Hindu mythology and history. It also has a museum that displays some artefacts and relics found in and around the temple. The temple also organizes various programs and events to promote awareness and appreciation of its heritage and significance. We couldn’t visit the museum as it was closed on that date due to elections.

Visiting the Mundeshwari Temple provides a deep spiritual experience, allowing you to connect with the rich religious traditions and spirituality of India. The temple’s serene surroundings and ancient ambience make it a place where we find inner peace and tranquillity. It’s a beautiful destination for anyone interested in history, spirituality, or simply seeking a peaceful and reflective environment.