The grandeur of the Lepakshi temple

Built in the 16th century, the golden age of the Vijayanagar empire, the Lepakshi temple in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh boasts impressive sculptures and exquisite murals portraying stylised versions of scenes from Hindu lore on its ceilings.

This impressive sculpture of Nandi, carved out of a single rock, faces the main shrine of the Lepakshi temple complex.

 

The unfinished kalyanamandapa.

A view of the Natyamandapa, or mahamandapa. The paintings are found here and on the ceiling of the verandah around it.

Five-headed Sadasiva.

Curious devotees check the “Hanging pillar” theory by running a piece of cloth under it.

Cow, calf and bulls in the natyamandapa.

Columns featuring musicians, including Nandi, playing the mridangam.

Heavily armed ganas dominate the columns.

Purushamriga (Indian sphinx) depicted worshipping a Siva linga.

An elephant performing “abhisheka” (ritual bath) to a Siva linga. This part of the monolithic boulder that also has carved out of it a Ganesha shrine and seven-headed serpent with a Siva linga.

A Siva linga being guarded by a seven-headed serpent, another side of the monolithic boulder with the Ganesha shrine and the elephant perfoming “abhisheka”.

A Ganesha shrine carved in the same monolithic rock that has a Siva linga being guarded by a seven-headed serpent and the elephant performing “abhisheka”.

Some of the murals have faded or look smudged.

A panel depicting Dakshinamurthy. Parvathi can be seen holding lotuses and with hands folded in “anjali mudra” (salutation).

Parvathi’s toilet. The seated figure is male while a group of elegantly dressed women gaze at him.

Maids of honour at the marriage of Siva and Parvathi.

Siva and Parvathi playing a game of dice while Nandi (bull’s head on human body) looks on.

The mural depicting Kiratarjuniya, an episode from the Mahabharata.

The mural depicting Kiratarjuniya, an episode from the Mahabharata.

The ASI has restored the paintings several times since 1979, but many details were lost because of neglect before that.

A panel showing the rescue of Markandeya by Lingodbhavamurti.

Tripurantakamurti, a manifestation of Siva holding a deer (mriga) and an axe (parashu) in two hands.

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This impressive sculpture of Nandi, carved out of a single rock, faces the main shrine of the Lepakshi temple complex.
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