Looking for day trips from Bangalore ? Look no further then LEPAKSHI
We are a sucker for road trips and every time we get an opportunity to escape, we escape, no questions asked. At times, we plan to go somewhere and end up somewhere else. This trip was one such impromptu one.
It was a long weekend and my Facebook timeline was filled with check-ins by my friends in all different locations and countries possible. My itchy soul would not see any more of it, so we decided to go to Nandi hills to watch the sunrise and Grover Zampa vineyard. But nothing like that happened, we watched our favorite TV series and slept off to wake up at 9:00 AM the next morning.
As soon as we woke up, we knew we could not do anything as planned. Phew, after all, the planning the entire day looked wasted. But a traveler always has a backup plan 😉 We started brainstorming about places in and around Bangalore and zeroed down on Lepakshi.
The distance from Bangalore to Lepakshi is just 120 km. Voila !!!
We started our journey around 10:30 AM from Whitefield and by 12:30 PM we were standing in front of the temple.
Lepakshi is a small village in Mandal in the Anantapur District of Andhra. Legend has it that during the age of Ramayan, Jattayu was badly injured while saving Sita from Ravana. Wounded it fell at this place and Lord Ram healed the bird and said – Le Pakshi in the local language that translates to “Rise Bird”.
The temple has been built by brothers Viranna and Virupanna. The brothers used the king’s treasure while he was away fighting a war. When the King returned he saw that all the treasure was used up to build the temple. He got furious and ordered the two brothers to be punished by having their eyes gorged out. The temple is exemplary of the finest architectural style reflecting the Vijayanagar architectural style.
A huge monolithic Nandi structure made out of single granite is another highlight, but urbanization around the temple makes it a little disconnected from the main temple.
As we entered the temple, in front of us were long corridors flanked by vertical pillars each one with unique exquisite carving depicting stories of wars, marriage, and fascinating tales of the bygone era.
The sun rays peeping from the vertical pillars added a unique charm to the place and the huge courtyard bathed in the midday sun looked stunning and mesmerizing.
Unlike major tourist destinations in Southern India which are swamped with people, we could hardly find any tourists apart from a bunch of college kids with a guide.
The ceiling of the main temple is filled with beautiful murals and the highlight is the pier or open-air Kalyan Mantapa which is believed to be the place where Lord Shiva and Parvati were married.
There is a total of 70 pillars and one out of them is the hanging pillar which is believed to support the entire structure of the temple. We could find few curious students busy doing the paper test i.e. passing a paper under the pillar so that it slides from the base. 🙂
( Dress – FabAlley )
Another highlight of the temple was the five-headed serpent providing shade to the Shiva linga and a huge stone with the carving of bathing of Shiva linga by Sri, Kala ( Serpent King), and Hasthi ( Elephant).
Interesting Facts
The only temple in the world where you can find a hanging pillar.
The monolithic Nandi statue is the largest monolithic statue in India. It is 4.5m high and 8.23m long.
The temple was never completed and the brothers who built it were punished with their eyes being gorged out.
Handy Tips
Hire a local guide to learn more about the temple.
Don’t forget to grab something to eat from your home.There are very few restaurants around the temple apart from some shops selling cold drinks, water, and ice cream.
You can spend 1-2 hours in the temple depending on your interest.
You can club Lepakshi with Nandi Hills and Grover Zampa vineyard.
How To Reach
Train: Nearest Railway Station : Hindupur
Buses : Hindupur or Anantpur are nearest villages from where you can hire an auto rickshaw to reach the temple
Flight : Bangalore International Airport
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Perfect day trip from Bangalore.
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Badiya hai… never been there…but it looks one of the most intricate stone complex
🙂 It is very beautiful, you should plan a visit there sometime soon.
Great snaps!
Thanks Rashmi.
My favorite outing in Bangalore. Can never get enough of it. 🙂 Nicely captured
True, you cannot get enough with just one visit. 🙂 So how many times have you been there Ami?
Looks like must visit place. Cover photo is too good. Keep travelling guys 🙂
Thanks Sandeep, its a very beautiful place and is worth a visit. 🙂
Fantabulous pics Swati!
I liked the place very much.
Thanks Indrani!!! 🙂
Same pinch Swati ?? Roadtrip Sucker n Travel plans never work for me as well !! that ends up to Beautiful Surprises like this one..Gr8 place and Even more lovely Pics !!
Thanks Pooja!!! 😀 😀 And same pinch
Am in love with this temple and awaiting our turn to visit it. ?
This is a stunning place, you should definitely plan a visit soon.
Beautiful pictures and a nice write-up. It looks like magnificent stone structures… 🙂
Lovely photo essay!! On my must visit list 🙂
Thanks magiceye, you should definitely plan a visit!!!
Gorgeous photos of Lepakshi and you look fabulous.
Thanks Kalpanaa for the kind words. 🙂
But what a lousy king who got the eyes gorged out of people!
Even when we learnt about it, we were like what kind of a king was he. But truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. 🙂
Have heard a lot about Lepakshi but we are seeing the pictures of this temple for the first time! Looks very splendid..:)
Thank you for your kind words. Hope you plan to see it first hand soon. 🙂
I haven been so many time but every time i feel like first visit. some magic behind on it.
Nice article and descriptions. Planning to take family, consisting of elderly people for a trip to the place. So wondering if there are some sanitation/toilet options available nearby. And how much do they charge for hiring a local guide? Would be helpful with these informations.