About Shivanasamudra

Nandi Hills or Nandidurg or Nandi Betta is an ancient hill fortress of situated in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka. This is a group of hills that lies at an average elevation of about 1,478 meters (4,851 feet) above the sea level, at a distance of about 65 km from Bangalore, on the way to Hyderabad National Highway (NH7). This place can be easily reached as it is linked by roads with Bangalore and Chikkaballapur (24 km). The Hills is open to public from 6 AM to 10 PM. Nandi Hills got its name from the ancient Dravidian temple dedicated to the Nandi Bull statue that’s located here, and Nandi is believed to be the mount of Lord Shiva. There are actually two Nandi Temples here, one is in the village at the foot hills and the other is at the top of the hill. Nandi Hills was earlier known as Ananda Giri during the reign of the Cholas, which stands for the ‘Hill of Happiness’. As per folklore, the name might have originated with the visit of Yoga Nandeeshwara who also conducted penance here. As per another belief, the resemblance of the hills to the sleeping Nandi Bull gave the name to this place.