After 3 weeks of the Dandiganahalli ride, we decided to get a new experience and revive ourselves so that we can carry out our work with full energy and think with a fresh mind. This time we thought to visit some historical place which we can explore in our day ride. After thinking and doing research we came on a conclusion that Lepakshi Temple would be the best place to visit near Bangalore as we can explore it in a day trip and also in our research we got to now that this temple has some relation with history. This is how we decided and visited Lepakshi Temple.
We started our trip early morning so that we reach the temple before the Sun reaches the top of the head because the temple premise is all stone and in temples, we are not allowed to go with shoes and as the day gets sunny the stones becomes very hot, also it becomes very difficult to walk.
Basvanna Temple:
There is a big Nandi statue before the main temple which is a major attraction of Lepakshi, it is the biggest Nandi statue in India. This statue is 27ft in length and 15ft in height, India's biggest monolithic Nandi. This huge structure of Nandi is cut out of a single stone. The area around this Nandi is well maintained in the form of a park.
About Lepakshi:
Lepakshi is a village located in the Anantapur district, in Andhra Pradesh. The famous Veerbhadra temple dedicated to Veerabhadra built in the 16th century is located here. It is famous for its sculptures, created by the artisans of the Vijayanagara empire. This place is known for the best mural paintings of the Vijayanagara Kings.
Legends in Lepakshi Temple:
Points of interest in the temple are the hanging pillar, Monolithic Nagalinga, a footprint of Maa Sita, and Ganesha.
We started our trip early morning so that we reach the temple before the Sun reaches the top of the head because the temple premise is all stone and in temples, we are not allowed to go with shoes and as the day gets sunny the stones becomes very hot, also it becomes very difficult to walk.
Basvanna Temple:
There is a big Nandi statue before the main temple which is a major attraction of Lepakshi, it is the biggest Nandi statue in India. This statue is 27ft in length and 15ft in height, India's biggest monolithic Nandi. This huge structure of Nandi is cut out of a single stone. The area around this Nandi is well maintained in the form of a park.
About Lepakshi:
Lepakshi is a village located in the Anantapur district, in Andhra Pradesh. The famous Veerbhadra temple dedicated to Veerabhadra built in the 16th century is located here. It is famous for its sculptures, created by the artisans of the Vijayanagara empire. This place is known for the best mural paintings of the Vijayanagara Kings.
Legends in Lepakshi Temple:
Points of interest in the temple are the hanging pillar, Monolithic Nagalinga, a footprint of Maa Sita, and Ganesha.
As we entered the temple we saw a paragon of excellent architecture and art. The architecture is very impressive which made me think about the engineers and architect created this temple. You can also see sculptures of deities all around in the temple, all made of stone on walls and pillars and also the painting on the roof of the temple showing the Indian culture and traditions. The courtyard of the temple has Verandah on all sides with numbers of pillars.
After crossing courtyard, we reached the main temple. It has a lavish of sculpture and paintings over every inch of space on the columns and ceiling.
Hanging Pillars:
In this temple, Hanging Pillar is one of the attraction because the pillar does not rest on the earth fully. You can pass the thin piece of cloth below the pillar and it comes out at other ends. There are about 70 pillars at this 16th-century temple of stone in Vijayanagara style, but this is a tribute to the engineering of ancient temple builders.
Shivling guarded by a hooded Snake:
After watching this pillar, we stepped out in the courtyard of the temple and reached another attraction of this temple which was a huge Shivling under Naga with three coils and seven hoods. As we crossed the Shivling we arrived at an incomplete structure. It is a Kalyan Mandapa which means marriage hall.
Maa Sita's Footprint:
Moving further, we arrived at a huge footprint on the temple floor. It is said that when Ravana was abducting Sita, and taking her to Srilanka, they stopped at this temple to rest for a while. That is believed to be the source of the footprint that is seen on the floor of the temple premises.
Experience of Lepakshi Ride:
It was the month of June; the night before riding it rained so the weather was quite pleasant the next morning. We started our ride at 6 AM from Bangalore on our bike and reached Lepakshi at 9:30 PM with one break for breakfast. We spent around 30 mins near the Nandi statue and around 2.5 hours in the main temple. We were fortunate that the weather was cool and it made our ride easier and full of fun.
Best time to visit Lepakshi:
Weather in Lepakshi is hot during summer so the best time to visit is from July to February during monsoon/winter.
How to reach Lepakshi:
Best way to travel Lepakshi is to go by your own vehicle. You can also hire a cab and also other options is to use public transport like train or bus and reach Hyderabad and take tempo running to Lepakshi.
Tips:
Tips:
- There are not many options for breakfast and lunch in Lepakshi. There is only one AP tourism department hotel. I will advise carrying snacks and a water bottle with you. On the way, you have options like Nandi Upachar and others.
- Wear clothes according to the weather, and try to reach early so you can roam around the temple before it becomes hot.
Thank you for reading. Hope you find all the information useful. Share your feedback in the comments section.
PS: Drive safe. Please keep all the places clean and green, so do not litter.
No comments:
Post a Comment