Prologue: In search of unusual
My husband and I now call Bengaluru our home. We moved last month and I have spent much of time dealing with myriad choices and emotions. I do not have a permanent job anymore as I had bid goodbye to corporate life two months back to pursue independent consulting. But, I have a much pressing task at the moment. Setting up a new house from scratch. I had rented out many times before as a bachelor, but furnishing my space was never on top of the priority list. Home was just a place to come back from office and parties to crash. The younger me always wanted to spend as much time outside home as possible. But now, as I have gained a few more years and pounds, home is not merely an overnight rest house but a place where I feel joy and contentment. I hope that our new abode lives up to the expectations.
I have spent the last few weeks coordinating colours and designs much to the annoyance of my husband, who cannot differentiate between purple and pink. I am going completely berserk dealing with delivery boys and handymen. So when my sister announced that she plans to visit us for the upcoming Christmas holidays, I couldn't stop smiling. I am planning to take a pause and have some fun. We wanted to go out of town, but all the usual destinations are completely booked. So we have chosen places that are not usual. Places that wouldn't figure on the top of the majority's bucket lists. One such place is Lepakshi, which is situated on the Andhra and Karnataka border in India. It is just about 3 hours by-road from Bangalore, so we plan to drive down and be back the same day.
Journey: Chasing history
We started at 7am and drove straight to Lepakshi barring our breakfast stop. We took NH 44 that passes through Chikkaballapur, and reached our destination at about 10am. There were not many proper dining places on the way, so carrying packed food may be a good idea. Keep some snacks handy during the journey.
Jatayu Park: Rising of the fallen bird
Our first stop lends its name to the place. It has a large statue of a bird perched on the hilltop. The bird is the mythical 'Jatayu'. Mythology states that Lepakshi is the place where Jatayu fell, wounded by Ravana while abducting Sita. Rama is said to have commanded the bird to rise 'Le Pakshi', and hence the name. The park, however, is a recent construction. We climbed to the top and there was a pleasant breeze despite the scorching sun. We got a bird's eye view of the town, which had lush green paddy fields and mud houses.
Veerbhadra Temple: A gem of the Vijayanagara Empire
Our next stop was the ancient temple of Veerbhadra, which is just about a kilometre from the Jatayu statue. The temple was built in the 16th century during the reign of King Achutaraya of Vijayanagara empire. The road leading to temple is dotted with shops selling sodas, chips, religious amulets and figurines. One can stop and buy a memorabilia and have fresh juice to quench the thirst.
The temple itself is extraordinary. The first structure that caught our attention was the Nagalingeshwara stone carving within the temple complex. The monolith structure depicts a seven-hooded coiled serpent carved out of a single stone. A lingam in black stone is placed in the hollow of the coils. The main sanctum sanctorum of Veerbhadra temple is decorated with beautiful frescos and murals representing mythical lores from old religious texts of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. It is exactly here that the famous hanging pillar of India stands (or rather hangs). There is a gap between the base of the pillar and ground through which cloth and paper can be passed, as the pillar is slightly dislodged and touching the ground only on one side.
Nandi: A monolith marvel
A huge granite Nandi, adorned with garlands and bells and carved out of a single block stone, is located about 200 metres from the Veerbhadra temple. There have been claims that it is indeed the largest monolith structure ever built, but I couldn't find any credible sources that could substantiate this claim. Nevertheless, it is an architectural marvel.
Nandi hills - A detour on the way back
We were free by 1pm and didn't have anything else on the itinerary. So, we decided to make a quick visit to Nandi hills on our way back. It was only a small detour and we also wanted to find a decent place to eat. Lepakshi didn't have many options.
We reached the Bhoganandeeshwara and Arunachaleswara Temples, a twin Hindu temples complex, situated in the Nandi Village at the base of Nandi hills, after travelling for about an hour and a half. The temples really surprised me as I was not expecting anything so grand and beautiful. The origin of the temples has been an issue of debate, with some arguments dating it back to the 9th century CE. The temples are notable for their large and intricately carved sabha-mandapa, the inscriptions, and artwork. The compound is big and also has a stepped water tank called Kalyani tank. What irked me was the lack of hygiene around the temple complex. We took a quick tour of the temple, had coconut water outside the complex, and got back on the road.
Unfortunately, most restaurants on our way to the top of Nandi hills were closed due to COVID restrictions. We took a bus to travel to the hill-top after parking our car and were greeted to panoramic views. One can also trek I believe, but our early morning start had left us a bit exhausted. A state run restaurant and tea shop have monopoly at the top. The restaurant had stopped serving lunch by the time we arrived and the tea shop didn't serve great tea. Monkey menace doesn't let you openly carry any eatables either. The best option probably is to bring your own food and eat in the car. We watched the sun go down and made our way back to car.
Epilogue:
Lepakshi is one of the historic gems which lie scattered all across India and speak volumes about the architecture marvels of ancient times. While Lepakshi has probably earned is share of fame, majority lie ignored and neglected. I hope for heritage tourism to really catch up in India so that both the natives and foreigners can enjoy the beauty of these marvellous structures. Let us move away from the history taught in social media and networking sites and witness it with our own eyes.
Lepakshi is a mesmerizing village in India known for its captivating tales of a mythical bird and its hanging pillars. The mythical bird, Garuda, is believed to have saved Lord Vishnu, leaving behind footprints in stone. The awe-inspiring hanging pillars in the Veerabhadra Temple defy gravity, adding to the village's mystical charm.
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