Nandi of Lord Shiva

According to Hindu custom, Nandi is a spiritual bull calf and Vahana of Lord Shiva.  Carves of Nandi is a sight at most of the Shiva temples. He is dedicated and responsible to his master Shiva. Nani is sits in Nandi mandapa, mainly in Dravidian temples. According to Saiviti Siddhantic tradition, Nandi sent Nandimatha Sampradaya such as Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana, Sanatkumara, Tirumular, Vyagrapada, Patanjali and Sivayoga muni to spread the intelligence of Shaivism. There is a story behind Nandi is once there was a honest and virtuous monk named Shilada. He has only a desire to have a child. So he decided to pray to God Shiva to fulfil his desire. He started a strong penance and Lord Shiva appeared in front of Shilada and seek his desire. Shilada asked Lord Shiva about his aspiration to have a child. Lord Shiva blesses him for that and vanished. Shilada became happy and next day when he went to the farm to start his ploughing and suddenly he saw a charming baby in the field and he heard a voice from the heaven to take the child and bring him up well. Shilada became happy and the baby was named Nandi. From the childhood, Nandi became a devotee of Lord Shiva. Shilada loved and cared his son . So he taught his child about Vedas and other sacred texts. When he became a boy, he proved his brilliance in fighting and dancing too. But one day two sages named Mitra and Varuna came to Shilada's home. Shilada and Nandi treated them very well for couple of days. One day sages told them that it's the time to leave the place. Sages blessed Shilada for live ling life but they became sad in face while he looks at Nandi and blessed to be well soon and good to your parents. After they leaved from from Shilada's home, he ran to the sages to known about the sadness of sages when they looked upon Nandi. At last sages told to Shilada about Nandi's short period of life. Shilada felt sad and returned home. When Nandi saw the sadness in his father's face and inquired about that. He replied about the conversation of sages with Shilada. When Nandi heard about that and he doesn't cried or scared, he started to laugh and consoled his father by saying about the power of Lord Shiva. Nandi assured to his father that if death is his fate, Lord Shiva will reverse his fate. Shilada smiled and blessed his son. Nandi went to river Bhuvana and started to penance Lord Shiva. After the intense penance, Lord Shiva appeared in front of Nandi and seek his desire. Suddenly he asked Lord Shiva about his wish to be with him always. God Shiva told him about the lost bull which he used to travel. So he told him about the interest to could be the bull and then he can stay in Kailash and shall be the head of all Lord Shiva's attendants. Nandi accepted and became his vehicle as well as his domain, companion and more over that head of all the Ganas. Most of the people who visits Shiva temple will pray to Nandi. Because if people has any wish, they can tell the wish on the ears of Nandi by closing opposite ear. The Hindu belief is that the wish that is saying in Nandi's ears will surely reach to Lord Shiva and the two horns of Nandi denotes Shiva's Trishul and Vishnu's Sudarshan Chakra.