Nandyal is a town in Andhra Pradesh.
Nandyal is connected by road from almost all the parts of the state. There are frequent buses from Nandyal to Tirumala - Tirupati, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kurnool, Adoni, Chittor, Anantapur and Kadapa. There are buses plying to parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu such as Bellary and Chennai. There is also a bus which directly goes to Tirumala - Tirupati.
Nandyal has a railway station (code NDL) that is connected to Vijayawada, Guntakal, Bangalore, Howrah, Goa, Anantapur, and Hubli. The nearest airport is the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad which is approximately 270 km away.
Within the city, auto rickshaws are a common means of transportation.
Nandyal is surrounded by nine temples of Lord Shiva (called Nava Nandi). The nine temples include Mahanandi, Shivanandi, Vishnunandi, and Somanandi. Among them, Mahanandhi is famous. One can see a continuous stream of water pouring into an artificial pond. It is believed that this water is so pure that one should travel to the Himalayas to see a place with such pure water in India. The source of water, however, is still a mystery.
The temple at Ahobilam, dedicated to Lord Narasimha is very famous in this region and is situated in a scenic forest which is a two-hour drive from Nandyal.
The Belum Caves are another tourist attraction in this region. A Siva Temple situated at Yaganti near Nandyal. Nandyal has a close association with the Prakasam district due to its proximity with places like Giddaluru, Markapur and Dornala.
Nandyal is also very well known because of its lentil crops. Nandyal was the native place of Pingali Suranna who was a well known poet in the court of the Vijayanagar Emperor Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva Dynasty.
Visit the Nine Nandis (Shiva Temples) Mahanandi is one of the Nava Nandis. Surrounding Mahanandi within 15-km diameter range, 8 other temples of Nandi are present namely "Prathama Nandi", "Naga Nandi", "Soma Nandi", "Surya Nandi", "Shiva Nandi", "Vishnu Nandi", "Vinayaka Nandi" and "Garuda Nandi".
The suggested visiting order for the Nava Nandis based on practical route is as follows - Prathama Nandi, Naga Nandi, Soma Nandi, Surya Nandi, Siva Nandi, Krishna Nandi, Garuda Nandi, Mahanandi and Vinayaka Nandi. The complete tour can be completed in half a day if you start at 6AM. Engage a diesel auto (for about ₹600) and make the tour. As the roads leading to Krishna Nandi, Siva Nandi and Surya Nandi are cart tracks, rugged at many places, a small car may not be advisable.
Directions for Nava Nandis