Mahanandi

Mahanandi Temple (మహానంది)
Mahanandi Temple (మహానంది) Location in Andhra Pradesh
Geography
Coordinates	15°28′14″N 78°37′34″E / 15.47056°N 78.62611°E / 15.47056; 78.62611Coordinates: 15°28′14″N 78°37′34″E / 15.47056°N 78.62611°E / 15.47056; 78.62611
Country	India
State	Andhra Pradesh
District	Kurnool district
Location	Nandyal
Culture
Primary deity	Shiva
Important festivals	Maha Shivaratiri
Architecture
Architectural styles	Tamil architecture

Mahanandi (Telugu: మహానంది) is a village located east of the Nallamala Hills near Nandyal, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is surrounded by forests. Within 15 km of Mahanandi, there are nine Nandi shrines known as Nava nandulu. Mahanandi is one of the Nava Nandis. The Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple, an important shrine, is located here. This ancient temple dates back over 1,500 years. The inscriptions of 10th century tablets speak of the temple being repaired and rebuilt several times.

These nine temples are Mahanandi, Shivanandi, Vinayakanandi, Somanandi, Prathamanandi, Garudanandi, Suryanandi, Krishnanandi (also called Vishnunandi) and Naganandi.

A festival is held here annually during February and March to celebrate Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva.

Mahanandi is about 21 km from Nandyal. The nearest airport is at Hyderabad, which is about 215 km from Kurnool, and the nearest railway station is at Nandyal. There are 2 routes to reach Mahanandi from Nandyal town. One route via Thimmapuram and is the shortest, around 17 km from bus stand. Another route, via giddalur road you need to take left diversion at Boyalakuntla cross and it will be around 24 km distance from nandyal.

See Route:Mahanandhi to Nandhayala

The temple is famous for its fresh water pools, called Kalyani or Pushkarni. The architecture of the temple shows the strong presence of the Chalukya Kings in this region. The pools of temple shows the skill of the Vishwakarmas.