Hanging Pillar at "Le Pakshi"

Located in present day Andhra Pradesh, the Lepakshi Temple lies on a minor detour from the Hyderabad- Bangalore road and can be accessed from both sides. It is about 480 kms from Hyderabad & 123 kms from Bangalore. The Lapakhsi Temple collocated with the Veerbhadra Temple is a glorious example of the Vijayanagar style of temple architecture.




Built on built on a low, rocky hill called Kurmasailam, which means tortoise hills in the local language, this temple was created in 1583 by two brothers Virupanna and Veeranna who were allies of the Vijayanagar empire. Legend has it that it was the site where Lord Ram’s faithful follower Jatayu fell down after having been injured mortally by Ravana. When Lord Ram reached the site he uttered the words” Le Pakshi’ translated imply the “rise bird”.




There is a pillar in the temple premises which does not rest on the ground fully ! Yes, this is real & this is the main attraction for many tourists.There are about 70 pillars at this fabulous 16th-century temple of stone in Vijayanagar style, but this one is the best known and a tribute to the engineering genius of ancient and medieval India’s temple builders. However, it is a bit dislodged from its original position — it is said that during the British era, a British engineer tried to move it in an unsuccessful attempt to uncover the secret of its support.




On the outer enclosure of the temple, you will see a mammoth Ganesha — hewn in stone and leaning against a rock. Perpendicular to it is a massive Naga with three coils and seven hoods. It forms a sheltering canopy over a black granite Shivalingam. It’s reckoned by many as the largest Nagalinga in India. On the main road of Lepashki approximately 200m from the temple, we can find Nandi; Shiva’s bull which is a granite monolithic sculpture . It is 4.5m high and 8.23m long making one of the largest Nandi in India. The sculpture has been positioned so that it faces the shivalinga which is shielded by a large serpent inside the temple. The nandi wears a kaasu malai, a bell chain, earrings and other jewellery. Legend has it that the Naga of the Nagalinga was carved out of a single stone by sculptors while they waited for their mothers to prepare lunch