Nandi (bull)

Nandi
Nandi in a zoo-anthropomorphic form
Devanagari	नन्दि
Affiliation	Mount of Shiva
Abode	Kailasa

Nandi (Sanskrit: नन्दि, Tamil: நந்தி, Kannada: ನಂದಿ, Telugu: న౦ది, Odia: ନନ୍ଦି) is the name of the gate- guardian deity of Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. He is usually depicted as a bull which also serves as the mount (Sanskrit: Vahana) to the god Shiva. According to Saivite tradition, he is considered as the chief guru of eight disciples of Nandinatha Sampradaya - Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana, Sanatkumara, Tirumular, Vyagrapada, Patanjali and Sivayoga Muni who were send to eight directions to spread the wisdom of Shaivism.

The word nandi has come from Tamil root word Nandhu (Tamil: நந்து) means to grow to flourish or to appear which was used to indicate growing fluorished white bulls as well as divine bull nandi. The Sanskrit word nandi (Sanskrit: नन्दि has the meaning of "happy", "joy" and "satisfaction"; also said as the properties of divine guardian of Lord Shiva - Nandi. Almost all Shiva temples display stone images of a seated Nandi, generally facing the main shrine.