BHOGA NANDEESWARA TEMPLE - NANDI HILLS

At a distance of 54 km from Bangalore City Railway Station, 6.5 km from Chikkaballapur, 9.5 km from Nandi Hills, Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple situated in Nandi village is a grand temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is a great specimen of South Indian temple architecture. It is one of the best temples near Bangalore and also one of the best one day trip near Bangalore.

Originally built in 9th century by Nolamba dynasty, the temple received great contributions from the rulers of Ganga, Chola, Rashtrakuta, Hoysala & Vijayanagara dynasties. The temple boasts wonderful architecture and great sculptures. The large temple complex has a vast open area in front of the wonderful gateway. The main enclosure has three shrines dedicate to Lord Shiva known as Bhoga Nandeeshwara, Arunachaleswara and Ardhanareewara (also known as Uma Maheshwara) along with several other shrines on the rear side of the temple. The large mandapa .....

At a distance of 60 Kms from Bangalore (situated close to NH207 towards Chik Ballapur), Nandi Hills or Nandidurga is a popular trekkig destination near Bangalore. Located close to Skandagiri, it is one of the must visit places for trekking enthusiasts as part of Bangalore tour packages and among the popular one day trip from Bangalore.

It gets its name from the ancient Nandi or bull which is meant to be the mount of Lord Shiva. These hills are the source of the rivers Palar, Arkavati and Pennar. It was one of the Tipu's summer retreats. There are about 1,200 steps laid from foot of the hill to reach the top. Bhoga Nandishwara Temple situated at the foot of the hills is a must see place which houses a 1000 year old sculpture of Nandi.

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace and Tipu's Drop, a 600 ft cliff from where Tipu Sultan used to throw his prisoners, offers a spectacular .....