Heritage · Faith · Tradition
About the Temple
Introduction
Garuda Nandi is one of the Nava Nandis – the nine Nandi shrines of Lord Shiva in and around Nandyal and Mahanandi. It is a very small temple on the main road at Mahanandi, on the western side of the great Mahanandiswara temple.
Legend
According to tradition, Garuda, the divine eagle and vahana of Lord Vishnu, performed penance to Lord Shiva at this place.
Location
The shrine is on Mahanandi Road, just before the Mahanandi temple after the big Nandi statue – about 250 m west of the main Mahanandiswara temple. On maps it is listed as "Garuda Nandeswara Swamy Temple".
The Nava Nandi Yatra
Garudanandi is one of the Nava Nandis – the nine Nandi shrines around Nandyal and Mahanandi, whose names are Prathamanandi, Naganandi, Somanandi, Shivanandi, Suryanandi, Krishnanandi, Garudanandi, Vinayakanandi and Mahanandi. All nine lie within about 15 km of one another, and devotees try to visit them in a single day. On the yatra, Garudanandi usually follows Krishnanandi and comes before Vinayakanandi, and the pilgrimage ends at the great Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple.
About the Shrine
The founding year of the shrine has not been published. It is a living place of worship, visited especially by pilgrims on the Nava Nandi yatra.
Festivals
- Maha Shivaratri – the most popular time for the Nava Nandi yatra (usually February–March).
- Karthika Masam – lamps and special worship, especially on Mondays (usually October–November).
Visitor Information
- Timings: official timings are not published; the shrine is usually open in the morning and evening. Please check locally, especially if you plan to cover all nine shrines in a day.
- Etiquette: traditional dress is recommended; remove footwear before entering.
How to Reach
- By Road: The shrine is at Mahanandi itself, a few minutes on foot from the Mahanandiswara temple; Mahanandi is about 17–21 km from Nandyal with regular APSRTC buses.
- By Train: the nearest railway station is Nandyal Junction (about 18 km).
- By Air: the nearest airport is Kurnool Airport at Orvakal (KJB), about 78 km away by road.
