Lepakshi Temple - Andhra Pradesh

The architectural splendour of Lepakshi Temple dedicated to Lord Veerabhadra takes you to another world. It's something that will leave you awestruck. The mesmerizing Vijayanagar style of architecture adds to the overall beauty of the Lepakshi Temple.

A huge sculpture of Lord Bala Ganesha awaits all who visit the Lepakshi Temple. Renowned for its astounding sculptures, the Lepakshi Temple is a treasure trove of ageless arts with famous frescos and mural paintings.

Each and every feature of the temple is so surprising, and you will never get bored with the fascinating stories that resonate from every nook and corner of the Temple.

The mysterious hanging pillar and the intricate carvings that depict different themes on the walls and every single pillar make you realize how genius and skillful the ancient engineers were.

The pillars at the Natya Mandapa having the life-size sculptures of Gods and Goddesses and other heavenly artists is quite interesting. You can see on the pillars, Shiva in his Nataraja Tandavam, Brahma playing the Cymbal, Narada on the Tamburu, dancing nymphs, and other heavenly artists playing the cymbals an drums and it seems they are performing a musical event.

The huge Nagalinga acting as a canopy protecting the granite Shivalinga, the biggest monolithic Nandi statue, etc will leave you speechless.

Exploring the Lepakshi Temple is a lifetime experience for those who admire art and architecture.

History:

The marvelous Lepakshi Temple has a history that dates back to the 16th century. It is believed that this temple was built by two brothers named Virupanna and Veeranna. Virupanna was the royal treasurer of the Vijayanagar empire during the reign of King Achutaraya. Once, he found an ideal of Lord Veerabhadra and decided to build a temple there. Virupanna used the money from the treasury to construct the temple when the King was away. When King Achutaraya came back, he found that his treasury is empty, and the temple built without his consent. The King commanded to stop the construction works. And this is the reason why the Kalyana Mandapa of the Lepakshi Temple seems unfinished. Being displeased with Virupanna, the King imposed a punishment on Virupanna that his eyes will be pulled out. Hearing the Kings order and to prove his innocence, Virupanna executed the punishment on his own and threw his eyes on the wall. And you can still witness two red spots on the walls of the Kalyana Mandapa which is believed to be the bleeding eyes of Virupanna. It is also believed that the village came to be known as "Lepakshi" meaning "blinded eye" because of this incident.

Speacilty:

The first and the foremost speciality of Lepakshi Temple is its hanging pillar that doesn't touch the ground. This architectural wonder was intentionally built to prove the engineering brilliance of the Vijayanagara builders. The most astonishing part is that a thin piece of cloth or paper can easily pass from one side of the pillar to the other.

The place Lepakshi has great significance in the epic Ramayana. As per legends, it is the place where the mythical bird Jatayu who lost its wings and fell wounded after a worthless battle with the cruel King Ravana who kidnapped Sita Devi to Lanka. When Rama came in search of Sita, he found the wounded Jatayu and kindly uttered "Le Pakshi", meaning "rise, o bird" in Telugu. Since then, the place came to be known as Lepakshi.

The gigantic sculpture of Nandi is the next wonder that you will greatly admire at the Lepakshi Temple. It is believed to be the biggest monolithic Nandi sculpture in the entire country having a height of 15 feet and a length of 27 feet.

Another speciality of the Lepakshi Temple is its huge Shivalinga protected by a magnificent rock-cut sculpture of a huge serpent with three coils and seven hoods which is unique and one of its kind in India. And this Nagalinga which act as a canopy over the Shivalinga is said to be the largest one in the country.

The massive sculpture of Lord Ganesha found perpendicular to the Nagalinga also grabs the attention of the visitors.

The Three Mandapas namely Mukha Mandapa, Artha Mandapa and Garba Griha and Kalyana Mandapa are the true specimens of very talented artistic masterpieces of the past.

Mukha Mandapa which is also known as Natya Mandapa or Ranga Mandapa is a spectacular dance hall with 100 pillars. You will be dumbfounded at the sight of the life-size sculptures of Gods and Goddesses playing musical instruments and dancing, which are intricately carved on the pillars.

A beautiful fresco, depicting the 14 incarnations of Lord Shiva (Lord Veerabhadra) beautify the ceilings of Artha Mandapa. And it forms the largest single fresco in India which measures 24 feet x 14 feet. The magnificent life-size image of Lord Veerabhadra, as well as the paintings of Veeranna and Virupanna in praying pose on the ceiling, are the highlights of Garba Griha.

The half-done Kalyana Mandapa is adorned with spectacular carvings depicting the marriage of Shiva and Parvati on the pillars. And it is believed that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married at this mandapa.

The Lepakshi Saree Designs that are beautifully carved on the pillars of the temple are also worth taking a look at.

You can witness a huge footprint inside the Lepakshi Temple known as Durga Paadam which is believed to be of Goddess Sita. And what surprises you here is the water that washes the footprint constantly making it to remain wet all the time. But the source of water is still unknown.

Another thing you love about this temple is its priest who welcomes you with a lovely smile and explains to you the legends and interesting facts about the temple in your own language, whether it is English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, or Malayalam, it doesn't matter him and he is always ready to communicate with you in the language you know.

Festivals:

The Lepakshi village enjoys a pleasant and salubrious winter season between the months of October and February. Also, it is the most exciting months as it marks the season of festivals in Lepakshi. The 10-day long annual festival of the Lepakshi Temple with Ratholsavam or chariot/car festival is the most striking and sensational one.

Maha Shivaratri: Lepakshi Temple celebrates Maha Shivarathri festival with great grandeur which involves the participation of hundreds and thousands of people. The Temple Fair that sells bangles, toys, clothes, articles made of bamboo etc is the major crowd-puller during the festival.

Durgamma Festival: The Durgamma Festival which involves many rituals and sacrifices is another popular festival of Lepakshi Temple. It is celebrated for four days in the month of Bhadrapada according to Hindu Calendar.

Sambhulingeswara Kalyanotsavam, Masi Brahmotsavam, Tirukarthikai, Pongal, Deepawali, and Navratri are the other major festivals of Lepakshi Temple which are celebrated with much splendour. Lepakshi Temple also conducts special pujas like Purnima and Ekadashi.

Dress Code:

There is no special dress code for Lepakshi Temple. But make sure you are wearing traditional attire or decent clothes while visiting Lepakshi Temple.

Way to Reach:

 By Air -  Kempegowda International Airport is the nearest airport to Lepakshi Temple which is situated at a distance of 98 Km.

 By Rail -  Hindupur Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Lepakshi Temple which is situated at a distance of 13.7 Km.

 By Road -  Hindupur RTC bus station is the nearest bus station to Lepakshi which is situated at a distance of 15.5 Km.