Bull Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Kempegowda International Airport serves as Karnataka's main aviation hub.

• By train

  Several railway stations connect Bengaluru with every region of Karnataka.

• By road

  An extensive road network links Bengaluru with the major towns and districts of Karnataka.

Why devotees come here

Bull Temple, also called Dodda Basavana Gudi, stands inside Bugle Rock park on Bull Temple Road in Basavanagudi, South Bengaluru. It is exclusively for Nandi, Shiva's bull, and is said to be one of the biggest temples to Nandi in the world.

Dodda Basavana Gudi is said to be one of the biggest temples to Nandi in the world. It is exclusively for the worship of the sacred bull, known in Kannada as Basava. Nandi is Shiva's vahana, the animal that carries him.

Kempe Gowda built the temple in 1537 under the Vijayanagara Empire. It is a small temple, just a shrine with a porch, in the Vijayanagara style. The shrine holds a granite Nandi monolith on a plinth. Years of rubbing with charcoal and oil have blackened the stone, and the temple takes its name from it.

The tower over the shrine was built in the early 20th century and carries Saivite figures and motifs. The Nandi is about 15 ft (4.6 m) tall and 20 ft (6.1 m) long. Kempe Gowda also founded the city of Bengaluru.

Festivals

• Last Monday and Tuesday of Karthika MaasaGroundnut fair (Basavanagudi Kadalekai Parishe)

  A groundnut fair is held in the temple grounds, and groundnut is offered to the deity.

Tips for your visit

• Dodda Ganesha temple is nearby, and the Bugle Rock garden lies behind it.
• The Nandi is about 15 ft (4.6 m) tall and 20 ft (6.1 m) long, so it is a large statue to see.

Questions people ask