---
title: Nandi
author: Mark Cartwright
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Nandi/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---
# Nandi
_Authored by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/)_
Nandi (also Nandin) is the sacred bull calf, gatekeeper, and vehicle (*vahana*) of the [Hindu](https://www.worldhistory.org/hinduism/) [god](https://www.worldhistory.org/God/) [Shiva](https://www.worldhistory.org/shiva/). Sculptures of Nandi are a common sight at Hindu temples dedicated to his master, and he is partly responsible for the Hindu reverence for living bulls even today, especially in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
### Nandi's Roles
According to the *Vayu Purana,* Nandi is the son of Kasyapa and Surabhi. In the *Saura Purana* Nandi, his role as Shiva's gatekeeper is described as, 'adorned with all ornaments, glowing like a thousand suns, holding a trident in his hand, three-eyed, adorned with a sliver of the moon, a thunderbolt in his hand, four-armed, like a second Sankara \[Shiva\]'.
Besides being Shiva's vehicle, Nandi is also the chief of the god's team of *ganas* or attendants, and consequently he often carries a golden staff of office. His other duties include being the guardian of all quadrupeds and the provider of [music](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Music/) as Shiva dances the *tandava*, the cosmic dance of creation.
### Nandi Battles [Indra](https://www.worldhistory.org/Indra/)
In the *Brhaddharma Purana* it is Nandi who, at the command of Shiva, kills the elephant demon Airavata, who actually belonged to the god Indra. Nandi had been given the task of finding a replacement head for the god [Ganesha](https://www.worldhistory.org/Ganesha/) who had lost his in an unfortunate accident involving his father Shiva. Naturally, Indra was not best pleased with this plan and so hurled various projectiles at Nandi to stop him. However, Nandi easily swept aside Indra's mace, trident, and thunderbolt. Indra next gathered his huge army together and subjected Nandi to a fearsome rain of arrows. Nandi, whose body is as hard as rock, was untroubled by this salvo and, laughing nonchalantly, proceeded to lop off Airavata's head anyway. The head was soon added to Ganesha's body, and Shiva was delighted with Nandi's handiwork.
[  Vimana, Kailasanatha Temple, Kanchipuram Andrea Kirkby (CC BY-NC-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4002/vimana-kailasanatha-temple-kanchipuram/ "Vimana, Kailasanatha Temple, Kanchipuram")### Representation in Art
A statue of Nandi is present as a bull sitting on a plinth in front of most Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva, especially Dravida (Southern) temples. He sits in a dedicated columned pavilion known as a *nandi mandapa* and is positioned so that he gazes in adoration at Shiva's *linga* within the main [temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) . The bull is often dressed by worshippers with bells, clappers, and a necklace of flowers. At Javanese temples Shiva can take the form of a bull, known as Nandi-Kesvara, and he often stands guard holding a trident in one hand and a lotus flower in the other. In Hindu paintings Nandi most often appears ridden by Shiva and has a pure white skin. He also appears with Shiva on 1st-2nd century CE [gold](https://www.worldhistory.org/gold/) coins minted by the Kushanas in [Gandhara](https://www.worldhistory.org/Gandhara_Civilization/).
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## Bibliography
- [Anonymous. *Hindu Myths.* Penguin Classics, 2004.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0140449906/)
- [Craven, R.C:. *Indian Art.* Thames & Hudson, 1997.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500203024/)
- [Dowson, J. *Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion; Geography, History.* DK Print World, 2000.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/8124601089/)
- [Hackin, J. *Asiatic Mythology\[Illustrated with 354 Black-and-White Pictures and 16 Full-Page Four-Colour..* Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1963.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B000HTLNIC/)
- [Michell, G. *Hindu Art and Architecture.* Thames & Hudson, 2000.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500203377/)
## About the Author
Mark is WHE’s Publishing Director and has an MA in Political Philosophy (University of York). He is a full-time researcher, writer, historian and editor. Special interests include art, architecture and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Cartwright, M. (2015, October 14). Nandi. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Cartwright, Mark. "Nandi." *World History Encyclopedia*, October 14, 2015. .
### MLA
Cartwright, Mark. "Nandi." *World History Encyclopedia*, 14 Oct 2015, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 14 October 2015. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.