Lepakshi: Lepakshi is located roughly 125 km's from Bangalore in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh and is a perfect weekend gateway for Bangaloreans. Famous for its archaeological importance and rich culture, Lepakshi is a popular tourist destination for those who want to imbibe the beauty from the historic past of our country. One can explore shrines of Lord Shiva and Vishnu here which were built around 13th-16th Century in the period of Vijayanagra Empire.
Best Time to Visit: The ideal time to visit Lepakshi would be Winters which is Nov-Feb when the temperatures are moderate and air is cooler. During summers it is too hot with the burning Sun and too humid during Monsoon.
How to Reach: You can reach Lepakshi by road either by taking Bus or a taxi. The roads are in really good condition and you can enjoy driving down the beautiful and amazing villages on the way. You should take max 3 hours to reach here from Bangalore with some tea breaks on the way.
Route 1: Bangalore - Hebbal - Yelahanka - Doddaballapura - Gauribidanur - Hindupur - Lepakshi.
Route 2: Bangalore - Yelahanka - Devanahalli - Chikaballapur - Bagepalli - Lepakshi
Places to Visit in Lepakshi:
1. Veerabhadra Temple
2. Lepakshi Temple
3. Nandi Bull
Lepakshi Temple:
One of the main attraction to visit in Lepakshi is Lepakshi Temple built in Vijayanagra style of architecture. The best part of temple is hanging pillars which were built in 16th century. In the British era, Britishers tried to know the secret behind there pillars but couldn't.
Mythologist believes that this temple had it's significance in Ramayana. According to them, the bird "Jatayu" fell at this place. The bird was wounded because of the battle and he was carrying Sita, wife of Lord Rama. When the Lord saw the bleeding and wounded bird, "Le Pakshi" were the words which came out of his mouth. These words mean "Rise Bird" in the local language.
Veerabhadra Temple:
It's the main attraction to visit in Lepakshi known for it's architectural beauty and ancient past. Photography isn't allowed in the central shrine area where deity Veerabhadra Swami is worshipped by locals. Photography is allowed outside the shrine area and there are no entry fees or camera fees.
The mural paintings on the ceilings, the stone carvings, the innumerable pillars, the naga linga, the open air auditorium, all had their own stories to tell! Words would not do enough justice and I will let the pictures below speak the real beauty of the temple.
Nandi Bull:
Nandi Bull is located at just 5 mins stroll from Veerabhadra temple. It is the mesmerizing idol of Nandi the bull, which is made up of granite. The size of the Nandi bull is 4.5 m tall and 8.23 m wide, which is the largest statue of India.
