Monolithic Bull (Nandi)

About this place

At the eastern end of the long Hampi (Virupaksha) Bazaar sits Yeduru Basavanna, a massive monolithic Nandi carved from a single boulder and sheltered in a twin-storeyed stone pavilion raised on a platform. The bull — Shiva's mount and gatekeeper — faces west down the kilometre-long market street towards the Virupaksha Temple, so that god and vehicle gaze at one another across the ruins. Though weathered and partly damaged, its sheer scale makes it one of Hampi's most-photographed monuments, backed by a dramatic heap of giant boulders. Steps beside the pavilion climb towards Matanga Hill and Achyutaraya Temple.