Sacred Bull At Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebedu, Karnataka Stock Photo

Sacred Bull Nandi carved from a single monolithic rock at the entrance to the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebedu in Karnataka. Nandi is associated with the Hindu God Shiva, to whom this Temple is dedicated. The Temple was built over a period of 30 years, between 1120 and 1150 CE, by King Vishnuvardhana and is famous for its exquisite carvings of Gods And Goddesses in soap stone, much of which have been damaged or disfigured by invading Muslim hordes from the north.