Nandyal

Nandyal lies between the Nallamala and Erramala ranges in Rayalaseema. Its name is associated with Nandi, the bull who serves as Shiva's mount, and nine shrines dedicated to Shiva form a pilgrimage circuit around the town. Among the sacred places of the surrounding country is Mahanandi, whose temple has early stone foundations attributed to the Chalukyas. The rulers of Vijayanagara gave land to temples in the region, including Mahanandi, Ahobilam and Srisailam. After the empire's defeat at Talikota in 1565, the wider country came under Golconda and later the Mughals. In 1800 the Nizam of Hyderabad ceded it to the East India Company, which administered it from Madras.