Trip to Anantapur –Leepakshi Temple

Trip to Anantapur –Leepakshi Temple

It all started when my colleague came and asked me to accompany her to Anatapur as it was a colleague wedding. I kept asking for time as I had to attend the wedding of another of my ex colleague wedding and I was waiting for a confirmation of my friends who were a part of the group attending the wedding in Channapatna. Finally at 6 pm I yes to her as the gang that was supposed to accompany with me backed out and I really was in no mood to go alone and thought it would be a good idea to know my current colleagues as well as there were 9 of us from various department who were a part of the group. 

 

I packed my things for a day and waited for them to pick me up . Anantapur from Bangalore is around 185 kms and it took us some 4-5 hours to reach he place. We left Bangalore at about 4 pm and reached by 8-9 pm. We stopped in between for a tea break and of course for some photo session to capture those moments. The wedding was on the next day  at 7.40 am followed by reception at around 12 pm. We attended both and left back to Bangalore. On the way we decided to stop at Leepakshi which is a small village in Mandal in the Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh. Lepakshi is culturally and archaeologically significant as it is the location of shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra which were built during the Vijayanagara Kings' period (1336–1646). The temples are the location of mural paintings of the Vijayanagar kings and Kannada inscriptions. Near the temple complex is a large granite Nandi bull.

 

 

The Shiva's bull Nandi is a granite monolithic sculpture on the main road of Lepashki approximately 200m from the temple. 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. 

 

The weather in Anatapur is extremely hot which was obvious as it is in Andhra Pradesh. The main temple inside is a cave like thing which has all idols of gods. The temperature inside is so humid that that you get completely soaked in sweat. Its as if you have had a sauna bath. But the idols and the sculptures inside and outside are definitely worth the visit. 

Was glad to have missed out my ex colleague wedding to attend my current colleague wedding  J.