01-18-2008, 01:44 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><span style='color:red'>Bihar to develop 'oldest' temple</span>
18 Jan 2008, 1042 hrs IST,PTI
PATNA: After initiating efforts to resurrect the ancient Nalanda university, Bihar government now wants to develop the country's "oldest functional" temple, the Mundeshwari shrine in Kaimur district on the lines of Vaishno Devi.
The temple situated atop a 608 ft hill is the "oldest functional temple" in the country where regular prayers have been performed from the past 1900 years, claimed the Administrator of Bihar Religious Trust Board Acharya Kishore Kunal.
Referring to the inscriptions found around the temple and different official records, Kunal, who enjoys the rank of a minister of state, said the "temple was constructed in 108 AD and the practice of worship and sacrifice was continuing ever since".
Kunal said archaeological experts and historians who deciphered the inscriptions found around the temple claimed that the shrine was built during the Shaka era, which predated even the advent of Gupta dynasty in 320 AD.
He said a stone slab, sawed into two with inscriptions in Brahmi script suggested that the temple predated the Gupta period when, because of the influence of grammarian Panini, the script in use was chaste Sanskrit.
The temple, he claimed could be even older as prior to the structure coming up there existed a four-face "mukhlingam" of Shiva, which was worshipped even at that time.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bihar_t...how/2709943.cms
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18 Jan 2008, 1042 hrs IST,PTI
PATNA: After initiating efforts to resurrect the ancient Nalanda university, Bihar government now wants to develop the country's "oldest functional" temple, the Mundeshwari shrine in Kaimur district on the lines of Vaishno Devi.
The temple situated atop a 608 ft hill is the "oldest functional temple" in the country where regular prayers have been performed from the past 1900 years, claimed the Administrator of Bihar Religious Trust Board Acharya Kishore Kunal.
Referring to the inscriptions found around the temple and different official records, Kunal, who enjoys the rank of a minister of state, said the "temple was constructed in 108 AD and the practice of worship and sacrifice was continuing ever since".
Kunal said archaeological experts and historians who deciphered the inscriptions found around the temple claimed that the shrine was built during the Shaka era, which predated even the advent of Gupta dynasty in 320 AD.
He said a stone slab, sawed into two with inscriptions in Brahmi script suggested that the temple predated the Gupta period when, because of the influence of grammarian Panini, the script in use was chaste Sanskrit.
The temple, he claimed could be even older as prior to the structure coming up there existed a four-face "mukhlingam" of Shiva, which was worshipped even at that time.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bihar_t...how/2709943.cms
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