Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

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Ancient · Hindu · India

Mundeshwari Temple

मुंडेश्वरी मंदिर

Kaimur, Bihar · 24.9835°, 83.5646°

Mundeshwari Devi (Durga) with ShivaReign of Maharaja UdayasenaNagara, on an octagonal plan
Sacred since
500 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
6th–7th c.; ASI dates it to 108 CE
Reign of Maharaja Udayasena

History & significance

A hilltop temple on the Kaimur plateau claimed by the Archaeological Survey of India as one of the oldest continuously worshipped Hindu temples in the country, and the earliest surviving Nagara-style shrine in Bihar, unusual for its octagonal plan.

Sthala katha — the legend

Xuanzang is said to have described a hilltop shrine flashing with light in this area during his travels of 636–638 CE.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Reign of Maharaja Udayasena