Nandi, the bull vahana (mount) of Lord Shiva, and the guardian deity of Mount Kailash (the abode of Shiva) has a very important place in Hindu mythology.
According to the Shiva Purana, Nandi was born from a yagna performed by the Sage Shilada, who wished to have an immortal child with the blessings of Lord Shiva.
Nandi grew up as an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and underwent severe penance to become his gate-keeper, as well as his mount, on the banks of river Narmada. As such, all Shiva temples display stone sculptures of a seated Nandi facing the main shrine.
Nandi, in Sanskrit, means happy, joy, and satisfaction. Devotees whisper their prayers in Nandi’s ear, as it is believed that Nandi will convey it directly to Lord Shiva.
Chamundi Hills, Mysore, Karnataka
| Height | 16 ft [1] |
| Length | 24 ft |
| Commissioned by | Mysore Maharaja Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar of the Kingdom of Mysore |
| Year | During the 17th Century [2] |
Carved out of a single granite boulder in situ, this Nandi is a sight to behold. Nandi is sculpted in a seated position with his left leg folded as if about to get up. Intricate carvings of necklaces, bells and garlands adorn Nandi’s neck.
By walk, it takes 700 steps from the starting point to reach Nandi. By road, a right fork on the way to the top of Chamundi hills leads to Nandi after 1.5 km. You can also climb down 400 steps from the top of the hill to see Nandi.
Black Nandi turns White!
Deposits of oil, dirt and dust had turned the Chamundi Hill Nandi black. In 2017, the Archaeological Department cleaned the statue using high-power water jets and restored the original colour of the rock. [3]
Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
| Height | over 12 ft [4] |
| Length | 19.5 ft |
| Commissioned by | Nayaka Dynasty |
| Year | 16th Century AD |
Estimated to be around 25 tons, this massive Nandi and the Nandi mandapa were later additions to the Brihadeeswara Temple by the Nayakas. This Nandi, replaced the older, smaller Nandi that was originally installed by Chola King Rajaraja I when he built the temple complex in 1010 AD.[5]
The stone is said to have come from a bed of gneiss at the foot of the Pachchaimalai, near Perambalur in Trichinopoly district. Another version is that the stone was bought over from the bed of the Narmada in the north.
There is a tradition that the Nandi is imperceptibly growing in size with the progress of time. It was feared that it might become too large for the mandapa erected over it and a nail was driven into the back of it. Since then, its size has remained stationary.
Another tradition says that it grew to its present size due to the presence of a live toad within the massive gneiss, but that the creature was discovered and removed to a sacred pond nearby.
Two portrait statuesques on the front pillars of the Nandi mandapa are those of Sevappa (the first Nayak ruler) and of his son, Achyutappa Nayak.[4]
Arulmigu Peruvudaiyar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu
| Commissioned by | Rajendra Chola I of the Chola empire [7] |
| Year | Completed in 1035 |
The name, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
The city was founded to commemorate Rajendra Chola’s victory over the Pala dynasty, rulers of the Gangetic plains (modern day Bengal and Bihar regions). The name can be split as, Gangai (Ganges) | Konda (Obtained) | Chola | Puram (City). The defeated kingdoms were required to send pots of water of the Ganges River to pour into the well of the temple.
Rajendra I, thereafter assumed the title of Gangaikonda Cholan, meaning the one who conquered the Ganges. [8]
Big Bull Temple, Basavanagudi, Bangalore, Karnataka
| Height | 15 ft [9] |
| Length | 20 ft |
| Commissioned by | Kempe Gowda I, a chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire [10] |
| Year | 1537 |
According to legend, the area around this Nandi had a rich cultivation of groundnuts and peanuts. But these farmers had a problem. On every full moon day, a wild bull charged into the fields and ravaged all their crops.
On one such night, to protect his crops, a farmer struck the bull with a club. The bull sat down, motionless, and turned to stone. Over time, the bull started to grow in size. The worried villagers prayed to Lord Shiva and received a trident as a boon.
The trident was placed on the head of the Nandi, and this stopped its growth. Since then, at an annual festival called Kadalekayi Parishe (groundnut fair), farmers offer their first groundnut harvest of the year to the stone bull.
It is also believed that a spring, that originates from the feet of Nandi, is the source of the Vrishabhavati river.
Kadalekayi Parishe
A two-day fair is held every year in Basavanagudi on the last Monday of Karthika Masa (in October or November). The bull temple road is decorated, and makeshift stalls are erected. Visitors will have lots of shopping options, food outlets, games and toys for kids. [11]
Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh
| Height | 20 ft [12] |
| Length | 30 ft |
| Commissioned by | Virupanna and Veeranna Nayaka under the reign of King Achyuta Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara empire [13][14] |
| Year | 1530 |
This is the largest Nandi in India. It is located at the entrance of the town of Lepakshi and faces west, looking towards the Naga-linga located at Sri Veerabhadra temple.
Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.
Native American saying
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References
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nandi_Temple_(252276307).jpeg ↩︎
- https://mysore.ind.in/nandi-of-mysore ↩︎
- https://starofmysore.com/black-nandi-statue-atop-chamundi-hill-turns-white/ ↩︎
- Great temple at Tanjore ↩︎
- https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/special-puja-performed-to-maha-nandi-at-big-temple/article7199569.ece ↩︎
- Great temple at Tanjore ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadisvara_Temple,_Gangaikonda_Cholapuram#cite_note-FOOTNOTES.R._Balasubrahmanyam1975241%E2%80%93245-2 ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangaikonda_Cholapuram ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodda_Basavana_Gudi#cite_note-5 ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodda_Basavana_Gudi#cite_ref-2 ↩︎
- https://karnatakatourism.org/destinations/basavanagudi-kadalekai-parishe/ ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veerabhadra_Temple,_Lepakshi#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnapp2009608%E2%80%9309_6-6 ↩︎
- https://aptourism.gov.in/destinations/21/lepakshi ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veerabhadra_Temple,_Lepakshi#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMichell2013328_3-2 ↩︎
Such a wonderful place.
Thank you.
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Thank you.
Thanks!