Lepakshi Temple

Lepakshi is a small village located in the Anantapur District, in Andhra Pradesh, India. The famous Veerabhadra temple which dates back to 1583, and is dedicated to Veerabhadra, is located here. It is one of the finest & oldest temples in India. It was built by the brothers Viranna and Virupanna. And, this temple is one of the most notable examples of the Vijayanagar architectural style. Also, it is famous for its sculptures. These were created by the artisans of the Vijayanagara empire. Also, it has idols of Ganesha, Nandi, Veerabhadra, Shiva, Bhadrakali, Vishnu, and Lakshmi. A huge Nandi bull made out of a single granite stone is one of the major attractions near the main Lepakshi temple. And, the place is renowned for being one of the best repositories of mural paintings of the Vijayanagar Kings. Many old Kannada inscriptions dating back centuries can be seen on its walls.

Legends associated with Lepakshi Temple

The origination of the name Lepakshi has two myths associated with it. According to the first legend, Lepakshi found its roots in the legendary Ramayana when Ravana kidnapped Sita. As he was taking her away, the bird Jataya tried saving her from his hand. Defeated by Ravana, he fell to the floor. As he was counting his last breath Lord Rama helped him attain Moksha by saying 'Le Pakshi' which in Telugu means 'Rise Bird.' Hence the name Lepakshi originated.
According to another legend, there were two brothers in the Vijayanagar Kingdom - Virupanna and Veerupanna. Virupanna's son was blind, and it is said that he gained sightedness while he was playing around the Shivalinga in the temple. Veerupanna was one of the financiers of Vijayanagar. Blamed by others for using the royal treasury; some say for the completion of the temple while some say for curing his son, the king gave orders for taking off his eyes. Disturbed by the false accusation, he forestalled the punishment and threw his eyes onto the walls of the temple. Hence, the place got its name Lape-Akshi meaning the village of the blinded. Now the rare part is that the temple wall still has blood marks on the eyes.

Architectural Facts about Lepakshi Temple

The Basavanna Temple

1 KM before the main temple there is a big Nandi statue, another major attraction of Lepakshi. As said, it is the biggest Nandi statue in India. A very nice park is built up around this statue and is very well maintained. You can spend some time here and can take some good snaps.

Nandi at Basvanna Temple

At 27ft in length and 15ft in height, it is a colossal structure, reputedly India’s biggest monolithic Nandi. Its grand size and perfectly proportioned body make it a popular photo-op with visitors. Can you imagine such a huge structure cut out of one single stone!! The whole area has been developed in the form of a park, around this Nandi. You can visit, roam around or just sit in the park.

There is a beautiful small pond as well on one side.

The Veerbhadra Temple

As soon as you step into the temple premise, it will start tracing the impact of its enriched cultural and ancient engineering marvel. It is a truly splendid creation that compelled me to think about the master skill posed by the engineers, architects and whoever else was involved in creating this masterpiece. The whole Lepakshi temple is made of stones depicting our never vanishing traditional and cultural integrity. Various deities of God and Goddess have been carved out on the walls and pillars of the temple. You can see various sculptures all around the temple, all made of stone, and some are crafted on walls and pillars. Another attraction is roof painting speared all over the roof of the temple depicting glorious ancient Indian culture and traditions.

As soon as you enter the temple, you get a feel of its vastness. You will immediately step into a courtyard that runs all across the main temple. The courtyard is neatly lined with Verandah on all sides, with endless pillars, intricately carved.

Upon crossing the courtyard, you can proceed to the main temple. A flight of stairs leads to the main temple. I bet you will be mesmerized by the carvings on the pillars and walls of this temple.

The Hanging Pillar of Lepakshi Temple

As you walk through the temple, you arrive at a pillar that does not rest on the ground fully. There are about 70 pillars at this fabulous 16th-century temple of stone in Vijayanagar style, but this one is the best known and a tribute to the engineering genius of ancient and medieval India’s temple builders. However, it is a bit dislodged from its original position. A paper or a thin piece of cloth can be passed from below the pillar and it comes out absolutely unhindered at the other end.

It is said that during the British era, a British engineer tried to move it in an unsuccessful attempt to uncover the secret of its support. However, upon moving the pillar, the whole structure of the temple started shaking (due to the kind of balance with which the pillars are placed, you move one – you move all). The engineer was so petrified, that he ran off for his life.

The Shivling of Lepakshi Temple

From near this pillar, you can step out into the courtyard of the temple. Now, you are on the backside of the main temple. From here, walk towards the right, and take a turn at the end towards the right once more. You will soon witness a huge Shivling. But the Shivling is also hooded under a multiface snake (the naag). This is a unique Shivling. We haven’t witnessed any such Shivling in the rest of the country so far.

The incomplete Kalyan Mandapa of Lepakshi Temple

After crossing the Shivling you will arrive at a structure that looks incomplete. It is a Kalyan Mandapa (a marriage hall).

It is said that if this Kalyan Mantapa had been completed, Lord Shiva and Ma Parvati’s marriage would have happened here. Its construction was started by the then King’s accountant while the king himself was on a trip. When the King came back, he was utterly furious with the accountant for having spent the kingdom’s money on this construction without the King’s knowledge or approval (I feel it was more of an ego clash that the king had). He immediately ordered the Kalyan Mandapa construction to be stopped. And so, it remains incomplete, to date.

The eye on the wall in Lepakshi Temple

Right across the incomplete Kalyan Mandapa, one can witness a red mark on one of the walls. And this strongly resembles an eye. You must be wondering how come an eye mark on the wall!! So, there’s a legend behind this too and this is how it goes:

It is believed that the King was so furious with the accountant for having constructed the Kalyan Mandapa that he inflicted a punishment on the accountant. The punishment was that his eye popped out. And, that explains the eye mark on one of the walls. I am not sure how true it is. But it does look barbaric. I guess this is the only time that I have visited so far, with blood marks present on its walls.

Sita’s footprints inside the Lepakshi Temple campus

Moving further, after crossing the Kalyan Mandapa, you will arrive at a huge footprint on the temple floor. Almost as if someone stamped with strength on the floor. This footprint is believed to be of Goddess Sita. Interestingly, this footprint is always wet. You can see the water from underneath constantly sipping and washing this foot. Although, the source of this water is unknown. Yet, it is believed that since it is the footstep of the divine Goddess, the water appears magically as a sign of respect to her. And you can try to dry or wipe out the water, it slowly seeps back into place.

It is said that when Ravana was abducting Goddess Sita, and taking her to Sri Lanka, they stopped at this temple to rest for a while. That is believed to be the source of the footprint that is seen on the floor of the temple premises.