Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Kempegowda International Airport is about 38 km from Nandi Hills. A private vehicle takes you on from there.

• By train

  Chikkaballapur railway station is on the Yelahanka-Bangarpet line. You can also reach Bengaluru station and then take a vehicle to Nandi Hills.

• By road

  Frequent buses run to Chikkaballapur, and a vehicle is needed from there to Nandi Hills. Chikkaballapur town is on NH-44, NH-69 and State Highway 74.

Why devotees come here

Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple stands in Nandi village, at the base of Nandi Hills. It has two large Shiva shrines, and it is the oldest surviving temple in the Nolambavadi style in Karnataka.

The temple is a monument of national importance, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is the oldest surviving temple in the Nolambavadi style of Dravidian architecture in Karnataka. Newly weds come to the Uma-Maheshwara shrine, which has reliefs of Shiva's marriage to Parvati, to seek blessings.

Based on architecture and iconography, the two main shrines are dated between the 9th and 10th centuries. Early 9th-century inscriptions found near Nandi village refer to a Shiva temple. Later, the Ganga, Hoysala and Vijayanagara empires patronised the temple. The Chola period brought restorations and additions, and the Vijayanagara era added the Vasantha mantapa, a marriage-altar hall, and the stepped temple tank.

Each main shrine has a large linga in its sanctum, with a Nandi sculpture in a pavilion facing it. The outer walls have carved stone windows. One shows a dancing Shiva on the south wall of the Arunachaleshwara shrine, and another shows Durga standing on a buffalo head on the north wall of the Bhoga Nandeeshwara shrine. The Arunachaleshwara temple was added to the south shortly after the first shrine.

Tips for your visit

• The stepped tank, locally called Sringeri Teertha, has lamps lit on certain festive days.
• Look up at the perforated stone windows on the outer walls, which hold carved figures of Shiva and Durga.

Questions people ask