History of Bull Temple

Nandi, meaning ‘joy’ in Sanskrit, is the sacred bull according to Hindu beliefs. Though the Nandi statue appears to be black in color, it was not really the case when it was built. The idol was originally grey in color. But as devotees continuously applied charcoal and oil to the statue, it blackened over the years.

According to a myth, the iron plate on the bull’s head has been placed there by Lord Shiva to stop the idol from growing. An inscription at the temple states that the Vrishabhavathi River flowing through Western part of Bengaluru has its origins from a spring located beneath the Nandi statue.

The temple is estimated to have been built in the year 1537 by a ruler named Kempe Gowda, who is famous as the founder of Karnataka’s capital city, Bengaluru. Though much of the temple has been unchanged throughout the centuries, the present ‘Vimana’ that towers over the shrine was built during the early 20th century. The architecture of the temple is heavily influenced by the Vijayanagara style, prevalent during the 1500’s. The idol of Nandi is carved from a single stone of granite, and features a Shivalingam behind it. Meanwhile, the Vimana is adorned by Shaiva motifs.

Source Copied : https://www.karnataka.com/bangalore/bull-temple/

LOCATION DETAILS

Near By Place To Visit !