The Nandi hills about 60 Km north of Bangalore is also a health resort. There are two temples, one on the hills and the other in the town at the foot. On the hills there are also many Mandapas, natural caves and some buildings erected. Nandi’s history begins early. Tradition associates it with a sage, Kushmanda. It was when the Banas, a subordinate dynasty, were ruling over this tract, in the ninth and tenth centuries, that the Bhoganandisvara temple, in the town at the foot of the hills was constructed. It was expanded considerably by many later kings.

This is a 1000 Year old temple built by the Chola Dynasty. The temple has a very large area around it called Prakara and a few ruins around. There are many small temples around the main temple all in ruins. It is a very good spot with very less visitors to spend a day in peace. This is amongst the cleanest temple since people here are constantly cleaning the temple. What a marvellous view it was near the water tank. A small mountain at the back. If you go early in the morning, you can actually see this mountain clouds covered.

The Bhoganandisvara temple, at the foot of the hills, is a large composite structure, built over the centuries. The Banas, the Cholas, The Hoysalas, the Vijayanagar Rayas and the local chieftains have all contributed to its making. The temple consists now of three courtyards, located north to south. There is a pond in the northern one and a pavilion in the middle one. It is in the southern that several shrines are located.

Temple History

A Bana queen, Ratnavali, constructed the shrine of Bhoganandisvara, with a sukhanasi and a navaranga around 800. Some eight decades later, parallel to this shrine and largely in imitation of it, was added the Arunachalesvara shrine with a sukhanasi and a navaranga. The Nolamba Pallavas might have been its makers. When the Cholas conquered this part of Karnataka in the eleventh century, they added Nandi Mandapas in front of both shrines. The next structure to come up was the beautiful Kalyanamandapa, lavishly ornamented. It has a Hoysala look. Then, in Vijayanagar days, was added the shrine of Umamahesvara between those of Bhoganandisvara and Arunachalesvara. Thus, there are three shrines in a row. In the same days two shrines of Apitakuchamba and Girijamba were built. The last additions, made probably by the local chiefs are the two courtyards.

Temple Art

The temple is thus a product of many schools of art. But the parts have cohered so well that there is no sense of separateness. In the Navaranga of the Bhoganandisvara shrine there is the image of a seated individual. It is evidently a portrait but it can not be that of any Chola King as popular fancy asserts. He is either a recluse or a local notability in meditation.

Artistically, the most beautiful part of the temple is the Kalyanamandapa. It stands on a high base and has four pillars. Each column is elaborately carved. Birds are very prominent here. Though the architectural style is different and though the stone used is a hard one, the coruscation of relief recalls that in the Hoysala temple which are made of soft soapstone.