The Hanging Pillar : Lepakshi Temple

The hanging Pillar

The Lepakshi temple in India is a very mystifying place. People have loitered within this spot for a long span of time in search of confirmation of Gods. Stories heard are really fascinating and the people are very friendly. Leepakshi near Hyderabad is a charming destination situated not very far from the capital city of Hyderabad. One of the most admired tourist spots in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh, Leepakshi near Hyderabad is also one of the most mesmerizing historical cities in the country, which is precipitous in oodles of enriching customs. 

There are various appealing characteristics in the Veerabhadra Temple also known as Lepakshi temple. Temple in Lepakshi is hovering on a hillock called the Kurma Saila which is a Tortoise shaped rock. This old temple has engravings on each and every pillar and splendidly crafted ceilings.

The attractive 16th-century Veerabhadra temple is situated in the undersized historical village of Lepakshi in the Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh, India, about 15 km east of Hindupur and approximately 120 km north of Bangalore. Constructed in the archetypal fashion of Vijayanagara structural design, the temple marks many elegant carvings of god, goddesses, dancers and musicians, and hundreds of paintings on the entire walls, columns, and ceiling portraying stories from the legends of the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas. This comprises of 24 feet by 14 feet fresco of Veerabhadra, the blazing god crafted by Shiva, on the roof, which is the biggest fresco of any solitary stature in India. Facing the front of the temple is a huge Nandi (bull), the mount of Shiva, which is engraved from a solo block of stone. This Nandi is the largest of its kind anywhere in India; and, of course, anywhere in the world too.

The Leepakshi Temple is supplied with plentiful beautiful and extravagant carvings and murals. Leepakshi also has a magnificent Anantha or the coiled seven hooded serpents. The USP of this Anantha is that it has been incised out of a single stone. Also, the Leepakshi is famous for its Panchalingas.

Veerabhadra temple is renowned for an additional engineering marvel. The most famous pillar of Veerabhadra temple called the Aakaasa Sthambha (floating pillar), hangs suspended! It is surrounded by 70 pillars.

The foundation of the pillar scarcely feels the floor and is feasible to pass articles, for example, a thin sheet of paper or a piece of cloth from one side to the other. It is believed that the pillar is a bit displaced from its original place when a British engineer tried to move it in an ineffective effort to expose the secret of its hold.

Veerabhadra temple was constructed by the brothers Viranna and Virupanna, who were Governors under the Vijayanagar Empire during the sovereignty of King Achutaraya.

Although Maulik Lekhadia claims that the temple is being held up by 70 floating pillars, the fact of the matter is that only one of the 70 pillars supporting the temple allows a piece of cloth to be passed under it.Even though it’s called the hanging pillar, a superficial inspection of its base will show that it isn’t really hanging from the ceiling. It appears to be supported only on one edge, leaving a major portion of the base clear off the ground. This allows the cloth to be passed under it, giving the chimera that it's floating.

The township Lepakshi holds a noteworthy place in the grand Indian epic Ramayana. Fable has it that the bird Jatayu, injured by the king of Lanka, Ravana, fell here after a fruitless battle against the king who was carrying away Sita, the wife of Rama, the king of Ayodhya. When Rama arrived at the spot, he saw the bird and said benevolently to him, “Le Pakshi” — meaning “Arise, bird” in Telegu.

All these, and a lot more makes Leepakshi what it is and the way it stands. So going for a pleasure trip to Leepakshi near Hyderabad from the city would be a good bet, which will leave you with memories of a lifetime.