Description of the attraction
Dodda Ganeshana (Basawana) Gudi, or as it is more often called the Temple of the Bull, is located in the southern part of the famous Indian city of Bangalore, which is located in the state of Karnataka. Around the temple is a lush park called Bugle Rock.
The bull in the Hindu religion is worshiped as a demigod known as Nandi, who is a great worshiper of Shiva and constantly accompanies him. It is believed that Dodda Ganeshana Gudi is the largest temple in the world dedicated to Nandi. And the biggest attraction and value of this temple is a huge statue of a bull, and what is most remarkable, it is constantly coated with oil, or as it is called "benne", as well as oil mixed with coal, from which the statue completely turned black. Nandi is considered the wahana of Shiva - a kind of vessel, a shell that contains the essence of the deity. Translated from Sanskrit, "nandi" means "joyful." Nearby there is also a famous statue depicting the son of God Shiva Ganesha, with the head of an elephant.
The Dodd Ganeshan Gudi Temple was built in 1537 by one of the local rulers, Kempe Govda, who, according to historians, was also the founder of Bangalore. The architectural style of the temple is typical of the buildings of the Vijayanagara Empire. Its dimensions are quite insignificant for such a significant religious building. The Nandi monument itself is located on a small pedestal right in the center of the building. Opposite the statue is the entrance and a small neat porch, also made in the Vijayanagara style. Vimana, or the tower that shelters the main attraction of the temple, was created much later, at the beginning of the 20th century, and is decorated with graceful figures and ornaments.
