Lepakshi: an underrated marvel hidden in plain sight
Revered as one of the 108 Shivaite centres in the country, its grandeur has caught the attention of millions of art and history lovers, but the patronage from local communities is far from satisfactory
The imposing stone structures, ornate carvings and mesmerising murals are sure to transport one to an unfamiliar world that existed centuries ago at this very spot. Despite its rich history, Lepakshi remains relatively obscure, receiving far fewer visitors than it deserves due to limited mentions in tourism guides. Located in the Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh, Lepakshi is 13 km from Hindupur and 16 km from Kodikonda on National Highway44, at the Andhra PradeshKarnataka border. It lies 123 km from Bengaluru and 119 km from Anantapur.
The region was once part of the Mauryan empire and later came under the Satavahana rule. Sasanakota, located 26 km from Lepakshi, is said to have a Satavahana connect, which was, in fact, ruled by the Pallavas, Banas, Nolambas, Cholas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara kings, besides the Sultans of Srirangapatnam and the British in latter periods.
Though history is strewn all over in the form of chiselled rocks and stone structures, the main attraction is the Veerabhadra Swamy temple. Strangely, none of the 20 inscriptions found inside the temple, pertaining to the reign of Vijayanagara rulers like Viroopaksha Raya II (14651485), Immadi Narasimha Raya (14911505) and Achyuta Deva Raya (15291542), has a mention of the name of Veerabhadra temple.
However, there were mentions of Papanaseswara Swamy temple, which is an integral part of this region. Legend says that the king’s representatives Viroopanna and Veeranna embarked on the holy task of building the Veerabhadra temple after praying at Papanaseswara shrine, which adds credence to the fact that Veerabhadra Swamy temple came later.
In terms of mythology, Lepakshi has a mention in Skanda Purana and is revered as one among the 108 Shaivite centres in the country. Sage Agastya is believed to have performed penance in a cave and installed the famed Papanaseswara Lingam.
Lepakshi Basavayya
The huge monolithic statue of a bull ‘Nandi’ installed at the entrance of the village has become synonymous with anything associated with Lepakshi. Nandi, considered the celestial vehicle of Lord Shiva, is so exquisitely chiselled that it bears testimony to the sculptors who had a penchant for fine details.
This idol, 33 feet in length and 20 feet in height, is referred to as ‘Lepakshi Basavayya’ and said to be the biggest bull statue in the country, followed by the one at Basavanna temple in Bengaluru, 20 feet in length and 15 feet in height. The bull statue is thoroughly embellished with several chains comprising bells, beads and pendants adorning its neck. An image of a mythical ‘Gandaberunda’ bird can be found hanging by a rope right under its neck.
Another interesting feature of the bull is its position as if getting ready to rise. The right front leg is bent as if to give an upward thrust to get up, while the left leg is bent backwards. Noted Telugu poet Adavi Bapiraju wrote his famous work titled ‘Lepakshi Basavayya Lechi Ravayya’ (O Lepakshi bull, get up and come on...’) after visiting this shrine.
This Nandi has become inseparably etched in the memories of the kids of 80s and early 90s. The government, through its Andhra Pradesh
State Trading Corporation, brought out notebooks for schoolchildren under the brand name ‘Lepakshi Nandi’, with an image of the same bull on the cover page. Many children living beyond the combined Anantapur district those days came to know of the word ‘Lepakshi’ only through those notebooks.
Sculptural grandeur
Artistic grandeur is so pervasive in the temple complex that not a single piece can be hailed as the best. Every chiselled stone in the Kalyana Mandapam, Naatya Mandapam and Latha Mandapam is a feast to the eyes of the beholder.
The idol of ‘Bhiskatana Moorthy’ sculpted on a huge pillar at ‘Naatya Mandapam’ near the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum is simply an aweinspiring symbol of grandeur. Lord Shiva is depicted as an almsseeker in this work.
This episode precedes the Siva Parvati Kalyanam in mythology. As Shiva comes as an almsseeker, Parvati rushes to give him alms. In the hurry, she fails to notice that her attire got loosened. The idea behind chiseling the work is apparently to show Parvati’s keenness to provide alms, rather than fixing attention on her persona.
Shiva carries a skull as an alms vessel, Dhamaruka and Trishool with the three hands, while the fourth hand feeds grass to a deer. The Lord wears a crown resembling the ChalukyaChola style on his head.
While ‘Bhikshatana Moorthy’ is normally depicted as naked or sparingly clothed, which can be seen in prominent temples across south India, this exquisitelycarved idol is decorated with a number of ornaments, besides a ‘Yagnopaveetham’ (sacred thread). There are skulls in the garland that goes beyond his knees. Interestingly, the deity is shown as wearing a highheeled footwear, sculpting which, needless to say, requires a great amount of tact and control over the chisel.
“Of all the idols sculpted at Lepakshi, this is considered the best in terms of finesse in chiselling, reflecting the imaginative skill and intelligence of the artistes”, says Mynaa Swamy, a historian and journalist who has authored a book ‘Temple Architecture & Art of Vijayanagara – Lepakshi’. It was Mynaa Swamy who had escorted Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Lepakshi in midJanuary and explained the various features standing testimony to the artistic beauty of this temple.
Latha Mandapam is a structure having 40 pillars, on which are etched 96 unique designs of creepers and flowers. They are so popular that the textile industry extensively uses these patterns with the name ‘Lepakshi designs’.
Hanging pillar
Pillars are meant to support a structure, but this particular pillar in the Naatya Mandapam of the temple seldom touches the base. These structures are referred to as ‘Akasa Sthambams’, as if hanging from the top.
An architectural marvel, this monolithic pillar etched in Chola style measures 19 feet in height
A visitor passes a handkerchief from underneath the hanging pillar at the Sri Veerabhadra Swamy temple, to check the gap between the pillar and the ground. and 1.5 in width. The gap between the pillar and the ground is 2.5 cm, which adds credence to the traditional architects’ expertise, several centuries back. A handkerchief or a sheet of paper easily passes underneath the pillar, except getting stuck in one corner where the pillar touches the base. This is attributed to the vigorous shaking of the pillar by the bewildered team of engineers deployed by the East India Company to find out the mystery behind how a pillar can ‘hang’ in the air. This story has been passed on over generations, but still remains unverified.
Mural magic
The mural paintings at Lepakshi bear testimony to the immense patronage to art during the Vijayanagara era. The widecanvas murals can be found scattered across the Vijayanagara kingdom, from Hampi to Penugonda.
The mural of Veerabhadra Swamy painted on the ceiling of Maha Mandapa depicts Lord Shiva in a ferocious form. In contrast, the Veerabhadra deity consecrated inside the sanctum sanctorum appears sober, in a meditating posture (Dhyana Mudra).
The painting is 25 feet long and 14 feet wide, showing the Lord in an angry mood, with the huge eyes appearing to pop out and a long moustache symbolising masculinity. Veerabhadra is shown as having weapons like sword, arrow, spear, trident axe, shield, bow, Dhamaruka and a symbol of flame in all 10 hands.
The image of Viroopanna, the representative of Vijayanagara dynasty who was instrumental in getting the temple built, can be found at the feet of Veerabhadra Swamy, along with wife Kamakshi and son Veerabhadrappa.
The mural on ‘Manuneethi Chola’ is a spellbinding one. A Chola king’s son runs his
The huge statue of ‘Jatayu’ at Lepakshi village.
A view of the partially-completed Kalyana Mandapam at Sri Veerabhadra Swamy temple.
chariot over a calf by mistake, for which the cow seeks justice from the king. The righteous and unbiased ruler placed the calf’s body on the chariot and got the prince run over in the same manner, killing his son instantaneously.
The episode stands as a ready reckoner for the royal families on how to render justice to the public, by keeping public welfare above personal gain. The story is shown in the form of a series of paintings. Similarly enchanting are the murals on Siva Parvati Kalyanam, Bhu Kailas, Tripurantaka Murthy, Kirataarjuneeyam, Vatapatrasai and Draupadi Swayamvaram.
Ramayana link
The village has an inseparable link to the epic Ramayana. Though rich in folklore, the fable’s historical annotations are conspicuously missing.
Even as one enters the Lepakshi village, one can find installed on a hillock a huge statue of ‘Jatayu’, the eaglelike bird that sacrifices its life in its bid to save Sita from the hands of Ravana. Folklore says that Rama, during his search for Sita, finds the bird lying on the ground, having lost its wings and on the verge of death.
Rama is believed to have called it ‘Le Pakshi’ (O bird, rise up), which is said to be the reason behind the village getting the name ‘Lepakshi’. To buttress their claim, the villagers point to a huge footprint behind the Veerabhadra Swamy temple and near the Kalyana Mandapam, which is locally called as ‘Sitamma Pada Mudra’ (Sita’s footprint), though there is no authentic proof in the form of inscriptions to validate the same.
The grandeur has caught the gaze of millions of national and international art and history lovers, but the patronage from the local communities is far from satisfactory.
The footfall is lessthanimpressive in view of the tourism facilities available at Lepakshi. The lone guesthouse run by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) clearly falls short of the visitors’ expectations. As the farflung village is quite inaccessible to outsiders, there is also a greater need to run special tourism buses from Bengaluru and Anantapur.
For the commoner, it is an ancient temple that offers spiritual ecstasy. For the art lover, it fills in them a sense of utter bewilderment. For the history and heritage buff, it is a repository of information. As ‘a chunk of art’ that has fallen off from a virtual world, a visit to Lepakshi offers everyone an ethereal experience of neverbefore scale.