5 Oldest Temple in India

Kailashnath Temple also known as Kailash Temple is a famous temple that was excavated in a basalt rock in the compound situated at Ellora, Maharashtra, India. It is said that the Kailash Temple one of the oldest temple in india was constructed in the mid of 8th century under the guidance of King Krishna I (757–775 CE) of the Rashtrakuta era for his Nepalese queen as she was missing the presence of Kailash Mountain after moving to the Deccan

This was built as a dedication to Lord Shiva, the destroyer. It is a tribute to man’s greatness, even though academies have not given it its due place in our school history syllabus. A mammoth and impressive structure carved out of a single rock, the Kailashnath, or Kailasa, temple is the 16th cave among the 34 stunning caves of Ellora. Believed to be built in the 8th century, this majestic temple is built in the Pallava style. It was carved in perfect proportion and alignment to its adjacent structures, which include columns, flying bridges, stone arches, and statues and buildings — all made out of a single piece of rock.

The Chennakesava temple was originally referred to as the Vijayanarayana temple. It is Situated on the banks of the Yagachi river, this temple was an early masterpiece of the Hoysala Period. It was built by the Vijayanagara ruler to commemorate their victory over the Cholas and is solely dedicated to Vishnu as most of the figural carvings depict aspects of Vishnu, particularly the incarnations and the God seated with Lakshmi. Lord Vishnu is worshipped in this temple. The Chennakesava temple has been conferred as a heritage site by UNESCO. The ornate gopurams in the Chennakesava temple are attractive. When one enters the temple, one gets a feel of the grandeur of the Hoysalas.

The sculptures of Darpana Sundari, The Bhasma Mohini and the Huntress are some of the favourites. The royal dynasty’s emblem is the hallmark of the temple which is the major attraction on entering the temple and this is visible in every Hoysala temples. The chief deity, Kesava and Lord Krishna are worshipped here. The six foot tall, beautiful image of Lord Krishna installed at the sanctum looks marvellous

At an elevation of 3680 metres above sea level, the Tugnath Temple is the highest elevated of the Panch Kedar, the others are Madhyamaheshwar, Kedarnath, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar. This Old temple in india is connected to the Ramayana where Lord Ram meditated to release the curse of Brahmahatya for having slaughtered Ravana. The temple is quite small, and hence only 10 people are allowed in at a time. It stands at 3,680 meters (12,073 feet) and is the highest Shiva temple in the world. The exact dates of the origin of the temple are obscure, but if the legend is to be believed, it was the Indian mythological heroes Pandava who built the temple to venerate Lord Shiva and seek his pardon. The temple is extremely small in size and can barely accommodate ten people. It is made of black rock, and the construction style is similar to the temple in Kedarnath.

Although the structure of this temple dates back to the 14th century, this temple is said to be 2000 years old by Sage Vishwamitra. The temple is mainly built of marble and stone slabs. It has a distinct red pinnacle and a bird motif. The temple sanctum sanctorum holds the central images of Brahma and his second consort Gayatri. It witnesses a festival dedicated to Brahma during the Kartik Purnima. The temples dedicated to Lord Brahma and Known as Jagatpita Brahma Temple is built of marble and stone with motifs of the hamsa, or a swan.

Located about 2.5 km from Mount Abu, each of these five temples are unique in their own way and were built between the 11th and 13th century AD and are remarkable for their stunning use of marble. These five temples (Vimal Vasahi, Luna Vasahi, Pittalhar Temple, Parshvanatha Temple and Mahavir Swami Temple) are considered the most beautiful Jain pilgrimage sites in the world. It is also important to notice that at that time there was no convenience to transport such big blocks of marble at a 1200 metres height. Elephants were used to transports marble on their back from Arasoori hills at Ambaji to Mount Abu.

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