THE OLDEST FUNCTIONAL TEMPLE OF THE WORLD IS IN INDIA!
MUNDESHWARI DEVI TEMPLE,MUNDESHWARI HILLS,BIHAR
It is an Archaeological Survey of India protected monument since 1915.
The ASI has recently dated the structure to 108 CE(that is nearly 1900 years ago!) making it the oldest functional hindu temple in India and the world.
An information plaque at the site indicates the dating of the temple to atleast 625 CE and hindu inscriptions dated 635 CE were also found there.
The findings also established that there was an entire educational centre here spreading over the Mandaleshwar(Shiva) temple too.
This temple is mainly dedicated to Shiva and Shakti(Mundeshwari).
The main festivals celebrated here are Ramnavami,Navratri and Shivratri.
Maa Mundeshwari
Chaturmukha Shankara
The recovery of a royal seal of Sri Lankan King Dutthagamani(101–77 BCE) changed the history of this temple.
King Duttagamani of Anuradhapura,Sri Lanka
This seal established the idea that royal pilgrims from Sri Lanka might have passed from here using the famous “Dakshinapath way” to move from Bodh Gaya to Sarnath.
Map showing Dakshinapath(south pathway) and Uttarapath(north pathway)
In that case,this temple might have been even older(more than 2000 years old).
The existence of Naga serpent over Shiva,Naga Janeu and Ganesh statues are unique to this temple..this shows that the temple has roots in the time of Naga dynasty which ruled between 315 to 110 BCE..thus this temple could be older than 108 CE!
The naga serpent over shiva is unique to this temple..
But as the temple is in nagara style of architecture which came during the Gupta rule,this temple might have been rebuilt later and thus the ASI dated it to 108 CE.
Even Hiuen Tsang has mentioned about this temple in 638 CE.
The story behind this temple is that two brothers,Chanda and Munda who were chieftains of Mahisasura,made separate temples for Maa Bhavani.
Munda made the Mundeshwari temple and Chanda made the Chandeshwari temple.
Chanda and Munda with Maa Durga and Mahisasura
A close view of the temple: