Nandi is a sacred bull calf , acting as the gatekeeper of Kailasa (abode of Shiva) and vehicle (vahana) of the Hindu god Shiva. Sculptures of Nandi are a common sight at Hindu temples dedicated to his master. The Nandi works to to spread the wisdom of Shaivism. Almost all Shiva temples display stone-images of a seated Nandi, generally facing the main shrine. Nandi is depicted as a seated bull in all Shiva temples, all over the world. This form has been found even in South East Asian countries including Cambodia and Vietnam.
The worship of Shiva and Nandi can even be traced back to the Indus Valley time period . The famous ‘ Pasupathi ‘ seal , which literally means ‘Lord of the Cattle’ depicts a seated figure, which is usually identified as Shiva, and there were many bull-seals found in Mohenjo-Daro. Dholavira and Harappa indicating that Nandi worship has been a long standing tradition for many thousands of years.
In India, to this day, it is believed that whispering your wish into Nandi’s ear will be successfully transmitted to Shiva and more likely to be granted. During exam times, it is common to see rows of students lining up before a Nandi in any Shiva temple!
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