Nandi Hills or Nandidurg is a hill fortress of southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is located just 16 KM(till base) 24KM (top of the hill) from Chickballapur town. It is 4851 ft. (1478 meters) above sea level. It is located in close proximity to the newly constructed Bangalore International Airport, the second largest in India. In addition, the hills are located about 20 km from the National Highway (NH-7) just after Devanahalli Town. Due to its location, Nandi Hills is rapidly developing and numerous commercial and residential ventures are underway in the region.
Nandidurg hill, known commonly as Nandi Hills, is the source of the Penner,Ponnaiyar and Palar rivers. Nandi Hills gets its name from an ancient Nandi temple situated on this hill. This temple has a thousand year old sculpture of Nandi. An ancient lord Shiva and Parvati temple also adorns this hill.
Nandidurg was traditionally held impregnable, and its storming by Lord Cornwallis in 1791 was one of the most notable incidents of the first war against Tipu Sultan of Mysore. It was formerly a favourite resort for British Raj officials during the hot season. Francis Cunningham built the summer residence here for Sir Mark Cubbon.
The hills are now a popular tourist spot during summer. The state horticulture department maintains a garden for the tourists. The pressure of tourists on the environment here is great with a considerable problem of litter, noise and physical disturbance.
Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple
Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple is a Hindu temple located in Nandi village, near Nandi Hills or Nandidurg , Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka, and is dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The original temple, identified as one of the oldest temples of Karnataka, dates back to the 9th century A.D. and was later renovated successively as in the Dravidian style of architecture. It is located at a distance of 60 km from Bangalore and at the bottom of Nandi Hills.
Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple was originally constructed during the 9th century AD by Bana Queen Ratnavali, in the Dravidian style of architecture. The original temple was renovated regularly during the successive five dynasties under Chola, Hoysala, Pallava and Vijayanagara kings. This big temple houses three temples within the temple complex, viz., Arunachaleswara, Uma Maheshwara and Bhoga Nandeeshwara. The other portion of the temple houses a large indoor water pond, called Sringeri Teertha and has rock cut steps on which many lamps are lit by the side of the tank on certain festive days like Deepavali. This pond is believed to be a source of Pinakini River. Inside the temple, certain stone carvings are also depicted.
Tipu Sultan's Fort, Bhoga Nandishwara Temple, Muddenahalli Museum, Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple, The Nandi Temple, Amruth Sarovar, Brahmashram, Nehru Nilaya and Tipu's Drop are few cool places in Nandi Hills for outing.
Distance from Koramangala 5 Block to Nandi Hills (Betta) is 62 Km. Distance from Majestic to nandibetta is 3 Km.
Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple was originally constructed during the 9th century AD by Bana Queen Ratnavali, in the Dravidian style of architecture. The original temple was renovated regularly during the successive five dynasties under Chola, Hoysala, Pallava and Vijayanagara kings. This big temple houses three temples within the temple complex, viz., Arunachaleswara, Uma Maheshwara and Bhoga Nandeeshwara. The other portion of the temple houses a large indoor water pond, called Sringeri Teertha and has rock cut steps on which many lamps are lit by the side of the tank on certain festive days like Deepavali. This pond is believed to be a source of Pinakini River. Inside the temple, certain stone carvings are also depicted.
Tipu Sultan's Fort, Bhoga Nandishwara Temple, Muddenahalli Museum, Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple, The Nandi Temple, Amruth Sarovar, Brahmashram, Nehru Nilaya and Tipu's Drop are few cool places in Nandi Hills for outing.
Distance from Koramangala 5 Block to Nandi Hills (Betta) is 62 Km. Distance from Majestic to nandibetta is 3 Km.
