LepakshI

Lepakshi-art,architecture and sculpture

An introduction
Lepakshi is a treasure trove of Temples, Paintings and other cultural works of the famed Vijayanagara Empire. Located at about 120 Kms north of Bangalore, Lepakshi is renowned for 3 shrines of Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra. The Veerabhadra temple which is built on a low hill called Kurma Sailam due to its tortoise shape, is a great exhibition of the architecture of Vijaynagara Empire. In fact Lepakshi has been cited in 'Skanda puran', the ancient Indian script, as one of the hundred and eight important 'Shiva Kshetras' or Shrines of Lord Shiva.

What to do
Veerabhadra temple is a masterpiece and a grand specimen of the Vijaynagara style of architecture. It was built in the mid-16th century by two brothers Virupanna and Viranna, treasury officers of the Penukonda Fort of the Vijaya Nagar Empire. The temple is made up of three sections Mukha Mandapa for dance and other cultural activities, Artha Mandapa for worship and the Garbha Griha housing the deity. There is also a 'KalyanaMandapa or Wedding Hall made from grey sandstone with 38 carved monolithic pillars. Legend says Shiva and Parvati got married at this Kalyana Madapam!

The Mukha Mandapa and Kalyana Mandapa or wedding hall are fully embellished with sculptures and murals depicting episodes from ancient works like Ramayana and Mahabharata as well as carvings of Ananthasayana, Dattatreya, and Chaturmukha Bramha. Lord Brahma playing drums, dancing Rambha, the celestial nymph and Lord Shiva engaged in 'AnandaTandava' are the other interesting sculptures. The roof of Mukha Mandapa depicts the legend of the compassionate Chola King Manuneethi Cholan who dispensed justice even to animals. The 38 pillars of the wedding hall have images of Lord Shiva and Parvati along with sculptures of many sages, deities, and

The paintings of Lepakshi follow a unique style with elegant line-work set against an orange-red background. Most of the paintings highlight rich textile patterns, detailed hairstyles of people and exquisite jewelry. The most spectacular painting is the depiction of the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Some of the elements of the painting that stand out are the costumes and jewelry worn by the guests attending the wedding.

Indias largest Nandi Bull statue is located here. Made from a single granite chunk, Nandi stands 15 feet tall and 27 feet long.

Another monolith statue is that of Nagalinga, a Shiva Linga with a multi hooded Naga serpent over it. Legend has it that this sculpture was created by workers while they were waiting for their lunch to be served

Another temple worth visiting is the Parsavanatha temple of 11th century located north of Lepakshi. This Chalukya Style Temple has a sculpture of Parsavanatha in front of an undulating serpent. An Ashram of Sai Baba is another popular place at Lepakshi. It is a large complex . The complex also houses a canteen, shops, museum and a library.

There is an interesting legend regarding nomenclature of Lepakshi. It says Lepakshi is from the Ramayana and it specifically refers to the spot where the bird Jatayu, was wounded while trying to rescue Sita from Ravana. Lord Rama upon discovering the plight of Jatayau, says with compassion

Le

Pakshi, which in Telugu means Get up, bird.

The case of blinded eyes

The Veerabhadra temple was built by the Vijay Nagar Empires treasurer Virupana while the King was away. Virupanna used the treasury during the Kings absence to fund the construction. Upon return, the King was furious and ordered Virupanas eyes be taken out. Virupanna did not wait for the Kings order to be carried out and plucked out his eyes himself. In fact one can see two dark stains upon the wall near the 'Kalyana Mandapa' which are supposed to be the marks of Virupannas

One more famous spot in this temple is "Eyes of Viroopaakshanna". As the history says, Due to king's misunderstanding with this temple builder, king ordered to make him blind.
Hearing this the builder plucked his own eyes and throw at this temple walls. Till date one can find those blood scars on that particular wall.

A discovery
The Murals of Lepakshi with their natural pigments, have actually spun off a new style of Textiles called Lepakshi Motif. The flora and fauna depicted in the murals now find a way to block printed textiles and rugs today. The Andhra Pradesh Government Handicraft Corporation under the brand name of Lepakshi, is today marketing the produce of over 2 lakhs artisans through its network across India

Other attractions

Reaching Lepakshi
Lepakshi can be reached by taking west at Kodikonda check post on the Bangalore- Hyderabad Highway NH-7. The nearest railway station is 15 Kms away at Hindupur from where one can engage a Taxi or take a Bus.

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