Nandi Temple Bangalore is also called the Doddabasavan Gudi Temple by the local people. It is located in the NR Colony of South Bengaluru. The main deity of this temple is Nandi; hence it is also called the Nandi Temple. According to Hindu mythology, Nandi was not only a great devotee of Shiva, but Lord Shiva also rode it. This temple was constructed in 1537 by Kempe Gowda, the ruler of the Vijayanagar Empire. The idol of Nandi is 15 feet high and 20 feet long and is built only through a sculpture of granite. The Nandi Temple Bangalore is designed in the Dravidian style and it is believed that the river Vishwa-Bharati emerges from the idol's foot.
According to the mythological legend, the temple was built to cool a bull, which had gone to graze peanuts on groundnut fields, where the temple remains today. In memory of this story, a peanut festival is held at the temple. The fair is held in November-December at a time when peanut crops are produced. This is the best time for Bull's tour. The temple is the largest in the world built for Nandi. According to Hindus, this Nandi Temple Bangalore is a must-visit for every devotee of Lord Shiva as Nandi is a significant devotee of Lord Shiva. Coconut oil and butter are smeared on the idol regularly, hence the original grey color of the statue has turned to black.
There is a beautiful temple in the premises of the Nandi Temple Bangalore, dedicated to Ganesh the beloved son of Lord Shiva. An amazing thing about the Ganesh temple is that the Ganesh statue is made up of only butter! And it takes about 100 kilos of butter to build the statue of Ganesh. The statue is made every four years, and amazingly the butter never melts or changes the shape. When the butter used to make the statue of the deity is removed it is then distributed among the devotees as Prasad.
The construction of the Nandi Temple Bangalore is said to have started in the year 1537. Although a major part of the temple is still intact all along the years, the present ‘Vimana’ on top of the temple was built at the beginning of the 20th century. The temple has a heavy architectural influence of the Vijayanagar style, which was predominant in the 1500s. The idol of Nandi has a Shivalinga behind it. Also, the Vimana is decorated with themes of Shaiva.
The Nandi Temple Bangalore road is fully decorated and lit up with 100,000 gleaming lamps. The road starting from Bugle Rock which leads to Ramakrishna Mutt hosts the festivities with great delight and pleasure! A lot of vendors set up their stalls on this road to sell different varieties of peanuts. And the people are waiting to buy the first lot of crunchy peanuts. These nuts are available boiled, fried, salted, spiced, sugar-coated or even honey baked. People come from neighboring states to be part of the amazing affair.
Nandi Temple Bangalore, Timings: 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.
Nandi Temple Bangalore, Entry Fees: Nil
