On Saturday night (9Jan10) at home thinking how about a short trip on Sunday, to we were deciding the place from no where we planned to Lepakshi (near Bagepalli) and Vidura temple(near Dodaballapur).
We started from home at 7am Bangalore-Hyderabad road and on the way we had stopped for Satya Saibaba temple on the NH7 for 10min.
From there headed towards Devanahalli > Chikaballapur > Bagapalli >Lepakshi.
After Chikaballapur, traffic was less and speed increased on the odo increased. It was hard to keep the car less than 120kmph. The speed was increasing to 130kmph at down slopes. In not time we approached AP the roads became up and down and reached the toll booth for using such a nice road. After the toll booth around 3-4kms we reached Bagepalli, Here near the RTO check post in AP there is a left turn for Lepakshi. Usually we miss this turn as lots of trucks will be parked on the road side, but seeing the trucks on both the side you can feel that you have reached the RTO and ask for Lepakshi.
From the left turn Lepakshi is about 15km the roads are in bad conditions after 4-6 km which is manageable.
The village is welcomed by the statue of Nandi (but facing back ) in Lepakshi.(sorry i was not able to take the pic of the Nandi).
Lepakshi Village from the entrance of the Temple.
About Lepakshi TempleThe Lepakshi temples being one of the popular temples of that era. Lepakshi is a small village, which lies fifteen kilometres east of Hindupur in Anantapur District of Andhra and is famous for its temple of Veerabhadra, and is also a renowned place where the best specimens of the mural paintings of the Vijayanagar kings are available. Bangalore is the nearest large city.
This temple is an wonderful example of the Vijayanagara Architectural style and art and a master piece of art work done by the Vishwakarma Brahmin Stapathis who sculpted this temple. This was built in the 16th century and sits on a mount. The presiding deity is Veerabhadra.In the exquisite shrine is a wealth of magnificent sculpture in the intricate mandapams. One mandapam has pillars with life-sized images of dancers, musicians and other sculptures, created by the artisans of the Vijayanagar empire. The huge granite Nandi Bull is carved out of a single stone. The ceilings have breathtakingly beautiful mural paintings.
Lepakshi consists of three shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and 'Virabhadra'. On one of the hillocks near the place is known as "Kurma Saila" (tortoise shaped hill), are located the temples of 'Papanatheswara', 'Raghunatha', 'Srirama', 'Veerabhadra' and 'Durga', of which the Veerabharadra temple is the most important.
Veerabhadra temple is a notable example of the Vijayanagar style of architecture. A reference is made in the 'Skandapurana' to Lepakshi as one of the hundred and eight important 'Shaiva Kshetras' (shrines). Though the temple of Veerabhadra is claimed to have been constructed by Saint 'Agastya' himself, it was developed into the present exquisite shrine by 'Virupanna', the treasurer of the Vijayanagar Kings.He conceived the idea as he found the image of Veerabhadra.
He executed the plan in the absence of the king and used the treasure when he was away at Vijayanagar. When the construction was almost finished and it was being supervised the king returned and found the treasure empty. The king ordered, as a punishment to this heinous crime, that he should be blinded. The treasurer being a loyal person carried out the punishment spot with his own bands.
Even today one can see two dark stains upon the wall near the 'Kalyana Mandapa', which are said to be the marks made by his eyes, which he himself dashed against the wall. The builder did not survive for a long time and the village is called "Lepa-akshi Lepakshi", i.e., a village of the blinded eye.
The temple is divided into three parts - the 'Mukha Mandapa', (also called 'Nitya Mandapa' or 'Ranga Mandapa'), the 'Artha Mandapa' and 'Garbha Griha', and the 'Kalyana Mandapa', with 38 carved monolithic pillars in grey sandstone is unfinished. These three form a triangle with a common Mandapam.
As per local legend Lord Shiva and Parvati were married on the spot where the Kalyana Mandapa stands. The temple is surrounded on all sides by an outer enclosure. A second inner enclosure contains the main portion of the temple. Its finest parts are the 'Natya' (Dancing) and 'Ardha' (worship) Mandapas. The former is decorated with superbly sculptured pillars on, which are carved life-size representations of musicians and dancers in various poses displaying spirit and vigour. The Kalyana Mandapam is a standing monument to the exuberance of Vijayanagar art but it is left unfinished.
Paintings:
More photos of the temple:
About ViduraThis place is about 90 Kms as u take the turn towards Doddaballapur off the Bangalore Hyderabad highway.
This is a place where Vidura was imparted the Knowledge of the Atman by Rishi Maitreya. There is an Ashwattha tree here supposed to be since the times of Vidura. Some say that it has been planted by him and others that it predates even him and that Vidura was given AtmaGnyana by Maitreya Rishi under this tree.
It is mentioned in the Bhagavatha that Vidura after the Mahabharatha war went on a pilgrimage and met Uddhava on the banks of Yamuna. Uddhava, the great devotee of Sri Krishna and a disciple of Kapila himself, on being asked by Vidura to instruct him in the Knowledge of the self suggested him to go and meet Rishi Maitreya in the south. And that is how Vidura comes back to south and becomes a disciple of Rishi Maitreya.
The first thing that one encounters on reaching this place is the large number of snake idols kept all around the temple and inside too. The temple is a small one under the age old Ashwattha tree.
The snake idols, about a few thousand of them, are installed by all those who wish to get married or are married and wish to have children. So the belief goes.
One wonders how the imparting of knowledge of the self and this belief of desiring to marry and have children get fulfilled under the same tree.
