Maa Mundeshwari Temple Bhabua

MUNDESHWARI TEMPLE

Bhabua, Kaimur, Bihar, India

Goddess

The main diety of this temple is Mundeshwari Devi, who is an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi. It is an ancient temple dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and Shakti and is considered one of the oldest Hindu temples in India.

Interesting Facts

The temple was declared oldest Hindu temple of the country by the scholars with 2000 years of live worship having its past in pre historic age.

Best Season To Visit

The best season to visit the temple is Winter season. The best months to visit area October to December.

Weather

Highest - April to June (45°C during day and 35°C during night)Average - May (35°C during the day and 25°C during night)Lowest - December to (26°C during day and 21°C during night)Monsoon season - August to October

Dress Code

For men the dress code is Shirt & Trouser, Dhoti or Pyjamas with upper cloth.
For women the preferred dress code is saree or half-saree with blouse or chudidhar with pyjama and upper cloth.
Shorts, mini-skirts, middies, sleeveless tops, low-waist jeans and short-length T-shirts are not allowed.

Do's & Dont's

Do bathe and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
Do respect ancient customs and co-piligrims while at temple.

Smoking and drinking is prohibited in this temple.
Chewing betel leaves, tobacco, gutka and spitting inside temple is strictly prohibited.

transport connections

Name	Distance	Contact Number
Mundeshwari Bus Stand	1.5 KM	18004253266
Muthani Railway Station	33 KM	139
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport	100 KM	05422623060

Railway Station Name	Distance	Contact Number
Muthani Railway Station	33 KM	139

Airport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport	100 KM	05422623060

Architecture

The temple, built of stone, is on an octagonal plan which is rare. It is the earliest specimen of the Nagara style of temple architecture in Bihar. There are doors or windows on four sides and small niches for the reception of statues in the remaining four walls. The temple shikhara or tower has been destroyed. However, a roof has been built, as part of renovation work. The interior walls have niches and bold mouldings which are carved with vase and foliage designs. At the entrance to the temple, the door jambs are seen with carved images of Dvarapalas, Ganga, Yamuna and many other murtis. The main deities in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple are of the Devi Mundeshwari and Chaturmukh (four faced) Shiva linga. There are also two stone vessels of unusual design. Even though the Shiva linga is installed in the centre of the sanctum, the main presiding deity is Devi Mundeshwari deified inside a niche, which is seen with ten hands holding symbols riding a buffalo, attributed to Mahishasuramardini. The temple also has murtis of other popular gods such as Ganesha, Surya and Vishnu. A substantial part of this stone structure has been damaged, and many stone fragments are seen strewn around the temple.

The inscription of an information plaque erected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the site indicates the dating of the temple to 108 A.D. However, there are other versions for the dating stating the Saka era, prior to Gupta dynasty rule (320 A.D) in India, and specifically to 105 A.D according to the Administrator of the Bihar Religious Trust Board. The temple, a protected monument under ASI since 1915, is substantially damaged and is under restoration. The existence of Naga (serpent) on four faced shivlingam, 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 (110B.C to 315A.D) who used serpent as their royal sign. Later the area came control of Gupta dynasty.

History

According to archaeologists British travelers R. N. Martin, Francis Buchanan and Block visited this temple between 1812 and 1904. The inscription made on this temple is of middle of 389 A.D. indicating its ancestry. The temple was built in 625 C.E. and rebuilt in 1995 C.E.

HISTORICAL EVENTS -

636-38 A.D. - Chinese visitor Huen Tsang writes about a shrine on a hill top flashing light, at about a distance of 200 lee south west to Patna-The location is only of Mundeshwari.
1790 A.D. - Daniel brothers Thomas and William visited Mundeshwari temple and provided its first portrait.
1888 A.D. - Buchanan visited the region in 1813.
1891-92 A.D. - First part of the broken Mundeshwari Inscription was discovered by Bloch during a survey by East India Company.
1903 A.D. - Second part of the inscription was discovered while clearing the debris around the temple.

Temple Timings

Day	Timings
All Days	05:30 AM - 12:30 PM	04:30 PM - 08:30 PM

Tours

Airports

Airport Name	Distance
Shamshabad	40 KM
Lorem Ipsum	12 KM

Railway Stations

Railway Station Name	Distance
Secunderabad	10 KM
Nampally	12 KM
Begumpet	6 KM
Lingampally	20 KM

Bus Stations

Bus Station Name	Distance
MGBS	35 KM
CBS	28 KM
kukatpally	20 KM
Lingampally	30 KM
Uppal	35 KM

Private Transports

Transport Name	Distance	Contact Number
Private Transport	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757
Private Transport1	8 KM	9546858757