Situated about 125 kms away from Bangalore is Lepakshi in the Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh. Lepakshi is famous for its rich archaeological heritage, having been a center of settlement and cultural activity right from the Mauryan age. The main attraction at Lepakshi is the world famous Veerabhadra temple.
Many stories prevail on how Lepakshi got its name. Legend has it that when Jatayu tried to prevent Ravana from carrying away Sita, the demon king cut off the birds wings. A wingless Jatayu could only helplessly watch Ravana fly away with Sita. Later, when Lord Rama came across the fallen Jatayu, he addressed the bird as ‘Le Pakshi‘ (‘Rise bird‘ in Telugu). And that’s how the town got its name.
As yet another story goes, Virupanna, treasurer to the Vijayanagar king Achyutaraya, wanted to construct a grand temple in honor of his patron deity, Lord Shiva. He chose his native place and started construction utilizing funds from the treasury without informing the king. Right about the time when the temple was getting finished, the king found out about this and in a fit of rage ordered the treasurer to be blinded. On hearing this, Virupanna didn’t wait for the king’s soldiers to do the deed – he is said to have taken his eyes out on his own to meet his masters wishes. And from this act the town got its name: ‘Lepa Akshi‘ in Telugu stands for ‘embalmed eye‘.
Whatever be the history behind the name, Lepakshi is a must visit for the Veerabhadra temple and its impressive architecture.
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Getting There
Lepakshi is easily reachable from Bangalore via road. Once you reach Lepakshi, all roads lead to the Veerabhadra temple! India Tourism has also some basic information about Lepakshi.
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