Lepakshi is a small quaint village with a trail of several great kingdoms that once ruled the area. Located in the Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh, Lepakshi is located at a distance of 120 km from Bangalore making it a great choice for one day trip. Founded in 1535 AD by Maharaja Aliya Rama Raya of the Vijayanagara empire, Lepakshi is a trove of several fascinating archaeological sites, beautiful ancient temples and rich culture.
Each structure narrating a story of its own, this enchanting village also derives its name from Sanskrit language meaning ‘rise o bird’ and has folklore attached to it. Locals believe that according to the legend of Ramayana, Jatayu fell in Lepakshi after getting injured by Ravana. The village is most famous as being home to the Lepakshi Temple – known for the stunning Vijaynagar style of architecture and hanging pillars.
A magnificent example of timeless art and architecture, the temples of Lepakshi celebrate the might of Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra. Apart from richly carved temples with inscriptions in Kannada and hanging pillar, the most striking feature of Lepakshi is the largest monolithic idol of Nandi Bull in the entire subcontinent made of granite.