Mahanandi[kurnool]

Tourist Place: Kurnool

Visiting Place: Mahanandi

About Mahanandi:The Mahanandi is a world's biggest Nandi is located in the Mahanandi village of Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The Mahanandi dimensions are 15 ft by 27ft.The temple is well-known for its fresh water pools, called Kalyani or Pushkarni. The middle temple is surrounded by three pools: two little pools at the doorway and one big pool inside the temple itself. This holy tank is 60 square feet (5.6 m2) with an outdoor pavilion called a mandapa in the centre.The Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple, an important shrine, is located here. This ancient temple dates back over 1,500 years. The inscriptions of 10th century tablets speak of the temple being repaired and rebuilt several times.

Here the Nine Mahanandi’s are, Shivanandi, Vinayakanandi, Somanandi, Prathamanandi, Garudanandi, Suryanandi, Krishnanandi (also known as Vishnunandi) and NaganandiThe inlets and outlets of the tank are arranged so that the depth of the water is constantly kept at five feet, thus enabling pilgrims to bathe in the holy waters.

Mainly two types of well know mythologies,why the place came to be called Nava Nandi. One story is that in the establishment, of Kritayuga, one Parvata had two sons called Silada and Nandi. The Silada got his name due to his harsh penance and get to eating any food except rocks or stone. The Lord was satisfied by his dedication and converted Silada into a holy hill and began to live upon him. In the generally, the Nandi also meditated upon Lord Siva, and the Lord transformed him as his Nandi and made his vehicle. The Nandi place has conducted his tapascharya is measured to be the portion where the called as Mahanandi.

One more tale is that a dynasty of loal kings, known as Nandas, conditions here in the 11th century A.D. and they found a number of temples and worshipped their ancestral deity the Nandi, hence the name Mahanandi.

The architecture of the temple Vishwakarma Brahmins in planning water pools. The water is said to come from five springs called Srisailadhara, Narasimhadhara, Daivodhinidhara, Nanditirtha and Kailasatirtha in to the scraced pond of mahanadi. The water is famous for its crystalline and medicinal qualities and is ever fresher. The water irrigates 3,000 acres (8.1 km2) of productive land surrounding the villages like rice fields, fruit, vegetable and flower gardens.

Celebrations:

In the Kartika masa the prime important festival Maha Shivaratri, festival is here annually during February and March to celebrate the Great Night of Shiva.The other festivals like Dasara, Ugadi etc.

Temple Timings : 4.30 am to 9.00 pm

How To reach mahanandi

Mahanandi is about 21 km from Nandyal. The near airport is at Renugunta, which is about 270 km from Kurnool, and the nearest railway station is at Nandyal. There are 2 routes to reach mahanandi from nandyal town. First route via thimmapuram and is the shortest, around 17kms from bus stand. Second route ,via giddalur road you need to take left diversion at Boyalakuntla 24 kms distance from Nandyal.