Nandi Hills is a popular weekend getaway from Bengaluru. Whether it's on cycles, motorcycles or cars, one will eventually find more Bengalurians here on a weekend than in any other tourist spot nearby.
However has one given any thought to the many Nandis or Basavas (in kannada) that sit serenely around this region?
Here’s a list of some beautiful Nandi sculptures above & below the hills.
Kanive Basava - The growing bull near Nandi Hills
Kanive Basava: This massive Nandi or Basava sits serenely in the valley, a little beyond Sultanpete village. Kanive in kannada means valley and hence the name Kanive Basava and is dated to at least a thousand years ago. The lovely granite sculpture of a sitting Bull has an unusual talent of growing! Many people of the region swear that the Bull has been growing in their own lifetime. The around 10 ft huge Nandi was much smaller when it was first created. The devotees show an iron rod sunk on the back to keep it from expanding further. It has however not deterred the bull from growing. The ominous saying is that the ever expanding Bull will come alive on the Judgement day!
However, geologically, it will be interesting to know the reason for the granite expansion as this is not the first such legend in the region. The Basava of Basavanagudi shares the same kind of legend.
2. Nellikai Basava-Cholan sculpture on Nandi Hills
Nellikai Basava: Another bull of the Cholan era and around equally serene is Nellikai Basava that sits in a mantapa on the top of the hill. It faces a gooseberry tree and hence the name Nellikai. The bull is carved in very much the same style but not as massive as the one below. This Basava is around 10 feet long & 6 feet high and is supposed to have given its name to the hills.
The Nandis in facing Lord Shiva in the BhogaNandishwara Temple
The Nandis of Bhoga Nandishwara & Arunachaleshwara: The beautiful shiny sitting Nandi sculptures facing the Arunachaleshwara & Bhoganandi twin temples are inside a sheltered mantapa facing the shrine. These calm serene Nandis, carved from a single stone, are decorated with simple cow bells. Unlike the Hoysala counterpart, they are not very ornamented, but look just as majestic.
There’s a saying that if you whisper anything in the ear of the Nandi, he’ll convey it to his Lord who lives in the Himalayas (not a very accessible area). Lord Shiva hears our pleas through Nandi & blesses us. So it’s a common sight to see people of all ages who visit these Nandis whether they are in the mountains or structured temples, whisper in the bull’s ears. If you haven’t seen it, the next time you visit, sit by the Nandi sculpture & observe.
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