Lepakshi Veerabhadra Temple

The Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi was built in 1530 by Virupanna Nayaka, a treasurer in the Vijayanagara empire, on a low rocky outcrop called Kurma Saila ('tortoise hill') because of its shape. The temple's three sanctums house Veerabhadra (a fierce form of Shiva), Shiva himself, and Vishnu. Local lore connects the site to the Ramayana — the wounded Jatayu is said to have fallen here after his fight with Ravana, and Rama uttered 'Le Pakshi' ('rise, bird') giving the village its name. The temple's three architectural marvels are world-famous. The 'hanging pillar' in the natya mandapa rests with such fine balance that a thin cloth can be passed beneath it — engineers have studied the effect for over a century. The ceiling of the inner mandapa carries one of the largest surviving frescoes of the Vijayanagara period (24 m × 14 m), depicting Shiva as Veerabhadra, his consort Bhadrakali, and processional scenes painted in vegetable pigments still vivid 500 years on. Outside, a single granite block carved into a 4.5-metre Nandi sits 200 metres from the temple — the largest monolithic Nandi in India. Lepakshi is 120 km north of Bangalore and 35 km east of Hindupur railway station; most visitors come on a day trip from Bangalore. The temple is on the tentative list for UNESCO inscription as part of the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas and Vijayanagara nominations.