Bull Temple in Bangalore, also known as "Nandi temple"or Bhoganandiswara temple. The temple is a sculptural masterpiece. It is dedicated to Nandi, the bull, which is considered as Lord Shiva's Vahana or vehicle according to Hindu mythology. The temple is situated in Bungle hill on the south of Bull Temple Road. There is a large sculpture of Bull, which is about 4.6 metres tall and 6m long. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the structure is that it has been carved out from a single rock of granite.
Bull Temple was constructed by Kempe Gowda in the 16th century. It is one of the oldest temples in Bangalore, following the Dravidian architectural style. People believe that river Vishva Bharti originated from the feet of Nandi. The colour of Nandi bull was originally grey, but now it has become black because the devotees apply coconut oil during their puja. The sculpture of Nandi faces the Shiva temple. During the weekends musicians perform at the temple. The idols of Bhoganandiswara, Umamaheswara and Arunachaleswara are worshiped here. The kalyanamandapa of the temple is wonderful because of its exceptional engravings. The pillars and metalwork of the temple are also exquisite.
The popular legend regarding the Bull Temple is that, the farmers used the nearby area of the temple called as Sunkenahalli to grow groundnut. One day a farmer was enraged to see a bull grazing on his fully-grown crop and hit it. The bull sat in the middle of the field and was transformed into a stone. As a penance the farmer built a temple. To thank God, every year the farmers hold a Groundnut Fair (kadalekayi parishe) and offer groundnut from their harvest. There is no entry fee for the Bull Temple and the visiting hours for devotees are from 6a.m. to 8 p.m.
