lepakshi

revolvingcompass.com/lepakshi-temple footprint 7 wonders of Lepakshi Temple – the land of legends Lepakshi background Lepakshi is a small village located in the Anantapur District, in Andhra Pradesh, India.The famous Veerabhadra temple that dates back to 1583, and is dedicated to Veerabhadra, is located here. It is one of the finest & oldest temples of 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 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 repository of mural paintings of the Vijayanagar Kings. Many old Kannada inscriptions dating back centuries can be seen on its walls. Legend 1 from Lepakshi Temple : Legend has it that the Naga of the Nagalinga was carved out of a single stone by sculptors while they waited for their mother to prepare lunch. Legend 2 from Lepakshi Temple : Another legend gives the town a significant place in the epic Ramayana. It says , this was where the bird Jatayu fell, wounded after a futile battle against Ravana who had abducted Sita and going to Sri Lanka with her. When Sri Rama reached the spot, he saw the bird and said compassionately, “Le Pakshi” — ‘rise,o bird!!’ in Telugu. And that is where the place is believed to have got it’s name from. The Basavanna Temple 1 KM before the main temple there is 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 sometime here and can take some good snaps. Wonder 1 : 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 the 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. Lepakshi 3 The huge Nandi There is a beautiful small pond as well at one side. Lepakshi 4 Pond inside Basvanna park The Veerbhadra Temple, Lepakshi As soon as you step into the temple premise, it will start tracing an impact of its enriched cultural and ancient engineering marvel. It is a true splendid creation which compelled me to think about the master skill posed by the engineers, architects and whoever else were involved in creating this masterpiece.The whole Lepakshi temple is made of stones depicting our never vanishing traditional and cultural integrity. Various deity of God and Goddess have been carved out on the walls and pillars of the temple. You can see various sculptures all around in the temple, all made of stone and some are crafted on walls and pillars. Another attraction is roof painting speared all over on the roof of temple depicting glorious ancient Indian culture and traditions. Lepakshi 5 Entrance to the Veerbhadra temple, Lepakshi As soon as you enter the temple, you get a feel of it’s 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. Lepakshi 6 Glimpses of the temple courtyard Upon crossing the courtyard, you can proceed to the main temple. A flight of stairs lead to the main temple. I bet you will be mesmerized with the carvings on the pillars and walls of this temple. Lepakshi 7 Towards the main shrine of the temple Wonder 2 : The Hanging pillar of Lepakshi Temple As you walk through the temple, you arrive at a pillar which 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. Legend 3 of Lepakshi Temple : 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, he ran off for his life. Lepakshi 11 The hanging pillar of Lepakshi Wonder 3 : The Shivling of Lepakshi Temple From near this pillar, you can step out in the courtyard of the temple. Now, you are in the backside of the main temple. From here, walk towards the right, and take a turn at the end towards 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. Lepakshi 10 Shivling guarded by hooded snake Wonder 4 : 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). Legend 4 of Lepakshi Temple : It is said the if this Kalyan Mantapa had been completed, Lord Shiva and Ma Parvati’s marriage would have happened here. It’s 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, till date. Wonder 5 : The eye on the wall in Lepakshi Temple Right across the incomplete Kalyan Mandapa, one can witness a red mark in one of the walls . And this strongly resembles an eye. You must be wondering how come an eyemark on the wall!! So, there’s a legend behind this too and this is how it goes: Legend 5 of Lepakshi Temple : It is believed that the King was so furious with the accountant on having constructed the Kalyan Mandapa that he inflicted a punishment on the accountant. The punishment was that his eye be 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 temple that I have visited so far, with blood marks present on it’s walls. Wonder 6 : Sita’s footprints inside the Lepakshi Temple campus Moving further , after crossing the Kalyan Mandapa, you will arrive at a huge footprint in 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 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. Interesting..huh!! Legend 6 of Lepakshi Temple : 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 in the floor of the temple premises. Lepakshi 9 And last but not the least: Wonder 7 : the Priest of Lepakshi Temple Well, this did need a special mention. Although nothing to do with historical significance or architectural wonder, I couldn’t help feeling that the priest of Lepakshi temple is a wonder in himself. As you step inside the temple, he will greet you with a charming smile. And the first thing he will ask you is which language you know. Whichever language be your preference – hindi, english, tamil, telugu, kannada, Malayalam – he will interact with you in that language. He will explain to you enthusiastically about the wonders of this temple and their legend. And then he will leave you at your own to explore the place. No pressure of worshipping, no unnecessary bothering. And even if you are not there to offer your prayers, no problem. You will still be welcome. You can just visit the premises like a tourist at a historical site.