Half a kilometre before the temple, on the road in from the highway, sits one of the largest monolithic Nandi bulls in India: a single piece of granite carved into a recumbent bull, twenty-seven feet long and fifteen feet high. The bull's flanks carry a stone bell, garlands, and the elaborate harness of a sacred mount, all worked in extraordinary detail.
Most visitors drive past on the way to the temple without realising it is there; circle round behind it for the best view. The little park around the bull is shaded and quiet, a good place for a few minutes before tackling the main temple. There is no admission charge.