From Bhoganandeeshwara Temple in Nandigrama, and then to Muddenhalli, we make our way to Nandi Hills to visit the Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple in particular. This temple is the abode of Shiva in his form as a Yogi or ascetic. This temple was built atop the hills by the Cholas and was later taken over by the Vijayanagara dynasty. You have to go beyond the Cubbon House once you reach Nandi Hills to get to the temple. After you park the car at the paid car-park, a short climb takes you to the Yoganandeeshwara Temple.

The Gopuram is built in the Dravidian style. Upon entering the sanctum sanctorum, don’t miss the fabulous solid pillars that give support to the temple. The sacred bull, Nandi can be found facing the sanctum sanctorum of Yoganandeeshwara. The dwarapalakas or gatekeepers of the garba griha or sanctum sanctorum need a special mention. The floor of the temples have inscriptions of devotees who are prostrating before Lord Shiva and keep an eye open on the carvings on the ceiling too. There is an idol of Lord Ganesha too.

The second sanctum sanctorum has Goddess Parvati. In this section resides the older son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, Lord Kartikeya. All in all, the entire family resides in this stunning temple.

A notice on the outer wall of Yoga Nandeeshwara temple at Nandi Hills tells us that Shivaji’s son Sambaji captured the hill from the Mughals.

Beyond the temple, you could walk to see the beautiful view of the plains of Chikkaballapur, which is evident by the red soil. It was a pleasure to see a neat and clean verdant environment and it was a fervent wish that visitors would respect and keep the premises clean.

On your way down, do visit the other shrines of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva. You could also just sit for a while on the rocky hill to soak in the divine ambience.

About Nandi Hills :

Nandi Hills, also known as Nandidurga, are small hillocks 65 kilometres from Bangalore. It is 1,478 meters above the sea level and Tipu Sultan used it as his summer resort. In 1791, the British under Lord Cornwallis captured the hills as well as fort that was built initially by the Ganga Dynasty of Karnataka. It’s a popular destination for visitors from Bangalore looking for a quick get-away.

Other places to visit:

Tipu’s Drop

Amrita Sarovar

Nehru Nilaya

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