Nandi

Nandi is the vahana or mount of Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism. In Shaivite temples, it is common to find a bull reclining on a raised platform facing the shrine with an everlasting gaze on the god. Occasionally depicted as a bull-headed dwarf figure, he is one of Shiva’s chief attendants, shown with his hands pressed together in adoration. Mythologies are often used to instill moral values and, in this case, protect a certain species of animal. Each animal is chosen for its qualities that are similar to the image and functions of the Hindu deity. Fertility, strength, and virility are seen as qualities of Shiva and consequently Nandi.