Bull Temple, Bengaluru

Perched in the Basavanagudi neighbourhood, this 16th-century Dravidian temple enshrines a colossal monolithic statue of Nandi, the sacred bull that is the mount of Shiva. Carved from a single grey granite boulder and blackened over centuries by ritual oil, the figure stands several metres tall within a modest pillared hall. The temple is associated with the founding of Bangalore under the Vijayanagara-era chieftain Kempe Gowda. A groundnut fair held nearby each winter draws large crowds to this popular devotional and heritage site.