3 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Lepakshi

At a distance of 400 m from Lepakshi Bus Stand, The Veerabhadra Temple is the famous temple situated in Lepakshi (this is also referred as Lepakshi Temple). It is famous for its sculptures and archaeological beauty created by the artists of Vijayanagara Empire. It is considered as one of the best temples built by Vijayanagaras and is the prime attraction of Lepakshi.

The ancient shrine was constructed by Saint Agastya which was rebuilt in the present structure by Virupanna, the treasurer of the Vijayanagara King Aliiya Rama Raya. According to the legend, Virupanna, the royal treasurer was accused of drawing funds without the king's permission from the state treasury to build the Veerabhadra temple. However, he blinded himself to avoid the king's punishment. 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.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Veerabhadra, .....

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At a distance of 400 m from Lepakshi Bus Stand, The Kalyana Mandapa is situated inside the Veerabhadra Temple complex (Lepakshi Temple). It is among the prime places to visit in Lepakshi.

Kalyana Mandapa situated on the rear side of the main Veerabhadra Temple within the same complex is another major attraction in the complex with extensive artistic work similar to the mukha-mandapa of the Veerabhadra Temple. The path past Nagalinga leads to the Kalyana Mandapa.

The Kalyana Mandapa built on an elevated platform follows similar structure to that of main temple mandapa with circular arrangement of pillars. This structure was built to perform the Kalyana ceremony for Lord Shiva and Parvathi during annual festivals of the temple. The carving in this beautiful mandapa depict that several gods and saints from heaven attend the wedding ceremony - Devendra, Vasishta, Brihaspathy, Viswamita, Vayu, Yama, Varuna, Kubera, etc.

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At a distance of 500 m from Lepakshi Bus Stand and 500 m from Sri Veerabhadra Temple (Lepakshi Temple), Lepakshi Nandi (Bull) is one of the main attractions in Lepakshi and a well-known landmark for the tourism of Lepakshi. It was built during Vijayanagara period when the main Veerabhadra Temple was built.

The Lepakshi Nandi is made out of single granite. The monolithic Nandi sculpture is said to be the second largest monolithic structure in India after Gomateshwara in Shravanabelagola. It is 20 feet in height and 30 feet in length. The Nandi statue is decorated with a necklace, muvvalahara, a bell chain with small horns.

It is noticeable that the head of the bull is held aloft at a higher angle than usual. In addition, the expression of submission, which is typical of Nandi before Shiva, is not seen in the statue here.

This big granite bull is situated on the main .....

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