Dodda Basavana Gudi (Bull Temple)

Dodda Basavana Gudi, known as the Bull Temple, is a Vijayanagara-era shrine on Bull Temple Road in Basavanagudi, South Bengaluru, in Karnataka, India. It was built around 1537 by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bengaluru, and is dedicated to Nandi, the bull who serves as Shiva's mount. The main attraction is a monolithic granite Nandi about 4.5 metres tall and 6 metres long, polished black by regular anointing with oil and charcoal, and adorned with garlands and a silver-coloured crown. A small shrine to Ganesha sits nearby, and the temple stands within a leafy hilltop park among large boulders. Visitors remove their shoes at the entrance, walk around the pillared hall, offer flowers or coconuts, and receive blessings from the priests. According to local tradition, the bull grew until a trident was placed on its head. Each year in the month of Karthika, around November and December, the Kadlekai Parishe, or groundnut fair, fills the streets around the temple with stalls selling roasted groundnuts and crafts, and draws large crowds. A regular visit takes thirty to forty-five minutes. Early mornings and evenings are the most atmospheric, with lamps lit and prayers underway. Midday can be hot, and the temple may close briefly. Weekends and the fair days are busiest. Entry is free, and a modest dress code applies with shoulders and knees covered. Bugle Rock Park is next door and the Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is a short ride away, so many visitors combine all three in a single Basavanagudi outing. National College metro station on the Green Line is about 1.2 kilometres away, and auto-rickshaws wait outside the gate. Photography of the exterior is normally fine, but restrictions may apply in the sanctum.