Mahanandi Sacred Pools

Mahanandi Sacred Pools are natural spring-fed temple tanks located within the Mahanandiswara Temple complex in Mahanandi village, Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh, at the foothills of the Nallamala Hills. Fed by perennial underground springs, the pools maintain clear, lukewarm water year-round. Part of the ancient 10th-century Shiva temple and one of the Nava Nandi shrines, they are notable for their continuous flow, architectural setting, and ritual bathing tradition before temple darshan.

Visitors can expect two main spring-fed pools - Rudragundam and Vishnu Gundam - inside the Mahanandiswara Temple complex, surrounded by stone mandapas, gopurams and the Nallamala Hills backdrop. The water is clear and perennially flowing from underground springs with a naturally lukewarm temperature. Pilgrims and tourists bathe in the pools before entering the main Shiva shrine. The area includes temple corridors, changing areas, and open courtyards with continuous inflow and outflow of water.

The pools are part of the Mahanandiswara Temple, believed to have been originally constructed in the 10th century during the Chalukya period and later developed under the Vijayanagara and Nanda dynasties. The temple is one of the Nava Nandi temples around Nandyal and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The spring-fed tanks demonstrate ancient water management and temple architecture with continuous natural water flow.

The sacred pools hold religious importance for devotees of Lord Shiva. Bathing in Rudragundam before darshan of Mahanandiswara Swamy is considered purifying. The site is a major Shaivite pilgrimage centre, especially during Maha Shivaratri and Karthika Masam, and is one of the nine Nandi shrines (Nava Nandis) revered in the region.