Mahanandi Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Hyderabad is the nearest international airport, about 215 km away.

• By train

  Nandyal has the nearest railway station.

• By road

  From Nandyal, the shortest route runs via Thimmapuram, around 17 km from the bus stand.

Rules to know

• Bathing in the large pool inside the temple is not allowed after 5 PM every day.

Why devotees come here

Mahanandi is a village east of the Nallamala Hills in Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh. The Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple here is the important shrine, where Shiva is worshipped at the Shiva Linga.

Shiva is worshipped at the Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple, the important shrine here. Devotees can offer prayers and touch the Shiva Linga. Local legend says the Nanda kings ruled here in the 10th century and worshipped the Nandi, their ancestral deity. The place takes its name from that Nandi.

The original structure was built by the Badami Chalukyas in the 7th century, with additions in the 10th and 15th centuries. The gopuram over the main sanctum follows the Badami Chalukyan style, and the other structures are in the Vijayanagara style. The main temple is surrounded by three pools, two small ones at the entrance and one large one inside.

Nine Nandi shrines, known as Nava Nandulu, lie within 15 km of Mahanandi. A festival is held here every year during February and March to celebrate Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva.

Festivals

• February and MarchMaha Shivaratri

  Held every year to celebrate Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva.

Tips for your visit

• Look for the gopuram over the main sanctum, which follows the Badami Chalukyan style.
• The other structures at the temple are in the Vijayanagara style.
• The nine Nandi shrines, the Nava Nandulu, lie within 15 km of Mahanandi.

Questions people ask