Lepakshi - Poetry in Stone
- April 30th to May 1st 2026
Table of Contents
A 3 day long weekend was looming and save for a marriage of my college mate’s son scheduled on the Sunday of the weekend @ Hyderabad and which I was dreading to go coz of the heat, Friday and Saturday looked relatively free since nothing was planned with family also.
It was also too late to plan any other short tour like Bhubaneshwar and Puri or Arakku Valley and fly back to Hyderabad as the flight fares were shooting through the roof and train tickets were out of bounds.
As a last recourse, decided to do Lepakshi which had been on my bucket list for long. Tickets to Bangalore were again all full thanks to the May day weekend and I was left with no choice but to take the afternoon KSRTC bus to Bangalore.
The plan was to reach Hindupur early the next day before the sun starts steaming down and then maybe use the free time to get on with the completion of the Gwalior webpage. Plans were cast, tickets booked and I was off to Bangalore by the 3 pm bus.
I had booked a hotel close to Yeshwantpur station from where I was to take the early morning train to Hindupur from where Lepakshi was around 15 kms away. My misfortune was that the enroute traffic and inside Bengaluru was so bad that I reached the last stop at Majestic only by midnight and by the time I reached my hotel it was 12.30 AM.
Given that I had to get up again at 3.30 AM to catch the 4.30 AM Howrah express which runs once a week, initially thought I would do a night out but then sleep got the better of me and a 2 hour undisturbed power nap helped my cause.
A hot shower and I was fresh as a daisy ready for the trip the next day. A 2 minute walk from my hotel, brought me to Yeshwantpur Railway station. Got into the 2nd AC coach for the onward journey and by around 6.00 AM, I got down at Hindupur.
The misfortune of the station not having a cloak room meant that I would have to hire the services of a cab or auto and retain them for my return travel back to Hindupur from where I was to catch the Vande Bharat to Secunderabad.
A hot cup of tea at the station helped my cause and stepped out and while I could not see any cabs around, saw a few auto drivers standing out and soliciting people for rides/drops. Picked out one of them Samiyullah and negotiated the rates for a return trip including a 3 hour waiting time.
After a round of protracted negotiations, we finally settled for a rate of Rs.800/-. Thanks to an overnight downpour, the weather was very pleasant and I was just hoping that it stayed that way since the months of summer are a very wrong time to visit Lepakshi.
Lepakshi - here I come
Lepakshi is around 15 kms from Hindupur and it took us less than half an hour to reach there. Lovely well laid roads and a picturesque countryside brought us to our first stop which was the giant monolithic Nandi statue, located around less than a km ahead of the Veerabhadra temple.
The Statue of Nandi
Carved out of a single red granite rock, its believed to be the largest single stone Nandi idol in India and is regarded as the finest specimens of the Vijaynagar architecture.
This awe inspiring sculpture stands 15 feet high and is 27 feet in length.
If one looks at the statue with meticulous attention, one can see that apart from the proportions being strikingly accurate, there are lot of intricate embellishments like elegantly curbed horns, a graceful bell necklace and well crafted ear rings.
The statue unlike most other Nandis has the head aloft at a slightly higher angle which symbolizes an expression of utmost submission and devotion when he stands before Lord Shiva.
Another interesting point is in the positioning of Nandi’s line of vision where Lord Shiva remains hidden from view, a stark contrast to other temples where Lord Shiva is aligned against Nandi’s line of vision. Legend has it that carving of Nandi was done spontaneously by a group of skilled artisans who carried out their work during their leisure hours while waiting for food to be served.
The Jatayu Theme Park was a short drive away from the Nandi statue. We reached in 5 minutes but unfortunately and maybe not anticipating early tourists, the caretaker was still fast asleep. My auto driver suggested that we see the Veera Bhadra Temple and then come back again here since Haritham where I was planning to have my breakfast was not open as yet.
The Veerabhadra Temple
Built atop a small hilltop granite rock which bears the shape of a Tortoise and hence the name Kurma Saila also for the temple, this 16th-century (Circa 1530–1540 AD) structure is dedicated to Lord Shiva’s fierce form, Veerabhadra. A couple of brothers Virupanna and Viranna who were also Governors of Penukonda in Vijyanagara King Achyuta Deva Raya built this artistic marvel.
The temple features intricate carvings, the “hanging pillar” amongst 70 other pillars ornated with carvings and vibrant, detailed fresco paintings. The Lepakshi temple website attributes the name of Lepakshi to be derived from the Ramayana where Lord Rama is believed to have told the wounded Jatayu to rise (Le Pakshi).
The entrance to the temple has statues of Yamuna and Ganga on either side of the door (see the picture below), while each of the Pillars is intricately carved with Figurines of Musicians and dancers, the fresco paintings are particularly detailed and in very bright dresses and colours with scenes from the Puaranas and the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharatha.
Its understood that the temple was built using money from the state coffers and without the King’s knowhow and when he did discover this, he ordered Virupanna to be blinded but in guilt, Virupanna blinded himself and threw his eyes against the wall leaving marks which are said to be visible today also.
The temple features 3 shrines for Veerabhadra, Shiva and Vishnu and is a centrally protected monument of national importance as outlined on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre List. The 2 Governors of the Vijayanagara Empire were actually Pallava Kings and thus the temple has an infusion of Pallava and Saluva and Tuluva Vijayanagara architectures.
The Hanging Pillar
The Hanging Pillar is what attracts most Insta lovers and you can see a whole bunch of these reels with folks weaving a cloth below the Pillar to check for the authenticity of the gap. I joined the bandwagon by trying to weave a paper through the gap.
In reality the Pillar is slightly dislodged and touches the ground on one side.
The temple opens out in 3 sections – the first being the Assembly Hall, also known as the Mukha Mandapa or Natya or Range Mandapa while the other sections are the Ante Chamber, also known as the Arda Mandapa or Antarala and finally the Garbhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum.
The sanctum sanctorum has idols of a near Life Size Veera Bhadra, Goddess Parvati, Bhadrakali, a miniature statue of Ganesha and an idol of Goddess Durga. Please check out the gallery above.
The 7 Hooded Serpent
As one makes his way out of the sanctum area, a huge statue of Coiled 7 Hooded Serpent carved out a huge boulder of granite stone and providing umbrella cover over a Linga can be seen. It typically would take around an hour to go through the temple in detail.
The Naga Linga Ganesha Idol
The Jatayu Theme Park
We reached the Jatayu Temple by around 8 AM. A passage through the rear leads one to a flight of stairs. The entrance to the Jatayu statue remains closed for issues unknown based on orders issued by the District Collector.
Its believed that the Mythical Bird Jatayu fell, wounded by Ravana while trying to save Sita from abduction.
According to legend, Lord Rama found the dying bird and told him to rise by saying Le Pakshi meaning Rise Bird. One also gets to see Sita’s footprint after reaching the top.
One also gets to see Sita’s footprint after reaching the top. Post my descent, indulged in some shopping in a small store within the park premises.
Sita's footprint
Finished a heavy breakfast at Haritham, located close to the Jatayu Park and moved back to the station. With the heat coming up, was not sure of wanting to be adventurous in stepping out for lunch and managed with some biscuits and cool drinks within the station premises. Caught the 4 pm Vande Bharat to Hyderabad.
Thanks Mohan for sharing the same. We have been there couple of times but the history and architectural explanation of yours makes it even more imposing.
Very nice articulation of the visit to Lepakshi. The photographs are a visual treat – almost make you live the moments as described! Great effort and kudos Mohan for putting this together for many of us who vicariously get a tour of the spots you make a point of visiting. Thank you!
Mohan – very detailed coverage with amazing pictures. Thank you for documenting and posting these 👌