Nandi
The bull who is the mount and gatekeeper of Shiva, whose image faces the sanctum of Shiva temples.
Also: Nandikeshvara, Nandi bull, Basava
Nandi is the bull of Shiva, his vahana or mount, and the guardian of his home on Mount Kailash. In almost every Shiva temple a seated stone or metal Nandi faces the inner shrine, gazing at the linga, and devotees often whisper their prayers into his ear. Some are very large: the monolithic Nandis of the Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur, at Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh and on Chamundi Hill in Mysuru are well known. In Karnataka he is also called Basava, and the white bulls of South India, such as the Hallikar and Amrit Mahal, are often linked with him. Mondays and the Pradosha days are sacred to Shiva and Nandi.