Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur District, Karnataka, India

Nandi Hills or Nandidurg, Chikkaballapur District, Karnataka, India

•  Nandidrug or Nandydroog is an ancient hill fortress of southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state.

• It is located just 10 km from Chickballapur town and approximately 60 km from the city of Bangalore.

• The hills are nestled between the neighboring towns of Nandi, Muddenahalli, and Kanivenarayanapura.

• The hills are traditionally held as the origin of the Arkavathy and Palar river.
• Nandi Hills is home to five rivers Arkavathy,Papagni,South Pennar,North Pennar and Palar
• Arkavathy river source stands 3,850 ft from the sea-level on Nandi Hills
• Arkavathy joins Cauvery at Sangam in Kanakapura
• The river catered to the water needs of one-thirds of Bangalore

 Arkavathy River

•  There are many stories about the origin of the name Nandi Hills. During the Chola period, Nandi Hills was called Ananda Giri meaning The Hill of Happiness.

• Another story is that Yoga Nandeeshwara performed penance here, and so it was named after him.

•  Nandi is also commonly called Nandidurga (Fort) because of the fort build here by the ruler Tippu Sultan.

• It is also perhaps called Nandi Hills because the hill resembles a sleeping bull (Nandi).

•  The Bhoga Nandeeshwara temple in Nandi village is one of the oldest temples in Karnataka dating back to the ninth century.
• This magnificent temple which measures 320 meters in length, 250 in width is a wide corridor temple.
• Though it looks like one single temple it is actually 3 different temples; Arunachaleshwara, Bhoga Nandeeshwara and in between of these is a smaller temple of Uma-Maheshwara.

•  The temple hewn out of rock consists of two complexes. While the first complex houses three deities, the second complex consists of a huge and majestic kalyani pond.
• The temple is basically a Lord Shiva temple. Lord Shiva is represented in 3 forms.
• Arunachaleshwara depicts the childhood of Shiva; Bhoga Nandeeshwara depicts the youth and Yoga Nandeeshwara the renunciation stage of Shiva.

 kalyani pond

• Arunachaleshwara temple has previously said is the childhood phase of the Lord.  It is built by Gangarasa in 10th century. Inside the temple you can see a 2 feet idol of Lion Ganapati. It is called as Simha Ganapati. Opposite the temple there is the figure of Nandi made of granite stone.

• The foundation of the temple was constructed by the Banas of ninth century.

• Beautiful stone carvings are a popular tourist site and are a source of inspiration for students of art and architecture.

• Its height is about 4,851 feet (1,479 m) above MSL and acquires an area of 97 acres.
•  It is located close to the newly constructed Bangalore International Airport.