5 Ancient Temples in India Which Reflect Our Rich Culture and Heritage

India is a country which is extremely rich in culture and heritage. India has a history older than any country would have. The richness of ancient Indians in the field of art can be proved easily by the evidence we have. 

Evidence in the form of temples we have. From ancient times India has been a Hindu-prominent country. Hence, various temples have been built by our ancestors. Other than Hindu temples, India also have some Buddhist and Jain temples which are old enough to be considered historical

In the field of art, our temples are so prominent that many of them are considered as UNESCO heritage sites as well. The huge temples, carved mountains, and sculptures on the caves are thousands of years old and are still in better condition than most of the monuments built in the modern era. 

Here, I am going to share a list of few Indian temples which are a heritage site for us as they reflect our culture and history. 

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

A temple which you all must have studied about in your history books is located in Madurai, also known as the temple city in Tamil Nadu. It is believed that it is the site where Lord Shiva was married to Goddess Parvati and that's why the temple is devoted to Goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati and Shiva in the form of Sundareshwarar. 

The temple is believed to be built between 1190 CE - 1205 CE which was the time period of Pandayan Empire. After that teme had been rebuilt several times by several rulers.

Kailasa Temple, Aurangabad

Also known as Kailashanath temple is one of the oldest temples in India devoted to Lord Shiva. In fact it is also the largest of all the rock-cut Hindu temples at the Ellora caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. 

It was built around 756-773 CE when the empire was under the Rashtrakutas. Ellora caves has several Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples and this Kailasa Temple is one of them. 

One unique thing about this temple is that it has a vertical excavation that means the carvers started carving at the top of the rock and moved downwards to excavate the temple. The temple has both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu on either side of the entrance. 

The temple is literally a symbol of excellence our ancestors had. 

Picture Credit: tourism bihar

Mundeshwari Temple, Bihar

Mundeshwari temple located at Ramgarh village in Bihar dedicated to Goddess Durga or it is better called Shiv and Shakti, is one of the oldest temples in the world. 

The Archeological Survey of India has dated the temple to 108 CE declaring it the oldest Hindu temple in the country. The rarest thing about the structure of the temple is it is built of stone and is on an octagonal plan. The original Shikhar Or the tower had been destroyed hence a roof has been there after the renovation. 

Along with many idols of deities, there are carved images of Dvarpals, Ganga, Yamuna on the entrance. In the temple we get to see Chaturmukh Shivlinga along with Devi Mundeshwari. 

The temple has some mythological references as well like the two brothers Chanda and Munda who were the chieftains of demon Mahishasura were the rulers of this area and they made two temples devoted to Goddess Durga hence named them Chandeshwari Bhawani temple and Mundeshwari Bhawani temple. 

Picture Credit: Rajasthan direct

Brahma Temple, Pushkar

This is not just the oldest but the only temple in India devoted to Lord Brahma, who is considered to be the creator of the entire universe, according to scriptures. Temple is located very close to Pushkar lake in Rajasthan. 

The structure of the temple reflects that it was built in the 14th century. The temple has very strong connections with Hindu mythology and legends. 

Lingaraja Temple, Odisha

One of the oldest temples located in Bhubaneshwar, the capital city of Odisha is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple was completely built in 11th Century CE. And it represents the Kalinga architecture.

Temple is majorly devoted to Lord Shiva and Goddess Bhuvaneshvari, a form of Devi Parvati. But due to the increasing popularity of Jagannath temple in Puri, Orissa, the temple has images of Lord Vishnu as well. 

Here the deity is worshipped as Harihara, a combined form of Hari means Vishnu and Hara means Shiva, which shows the harmony between the Vaishnavas and Shaivas, the two sects of Hinduism. 

These were just the five of the many Hindu temples in India which hold a historical importance. The major thing to notice about all these temples is that these were built decades or centuries ago, destroyed and rebuilt several times, still they stand straight as mountains. 

I am not hinting at some religions point of view but what I am saying is that our ancestors had far better ways of architecture than we have right now. As an Indian, we should be proud that we own these historical heritage sites. 

Written By: Nidhi Jha