Lepakshi,Andhra Pradesh,India

The beautiful 16th century Veerabhadra temple, also known as Lepakshi temple, is located in the small historical village of Lepakshi in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, about 15 km east of Hindupur and approximately 120 km north of Bangalore. 

Built in the typical style of Vijayanagara architecture, the temple features many exquisite sculptures of god, goddesses, dancers and musicians, and hundreds of paintings all over the walls, columns and ceiling depicting stories from the epics of the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas.

The village Lepakshi holds a significant place in the great Indian epic Ramayana. Legend has it that the bird Jatayu, wounded by the king of Lanka, Ravana, fell here after a futile battle against the king who was carrying away Sita, the wife of Rama, the king of Ayodhya. When Rama reached the spot, he saw the bird and said compassionately to him, “Le Pakshi”  meaning “Arise, bird” in Telegu.

Monolithic snake structure in Lepakshi is the Largest Monolithic Nagalinga in India. It is believed that, this Nagalinga was constructed in just 1 hour by the sculptures while their mother was cooking lunch for them. When mother finished cooking she saw this gigantic sculpture & could not believe what she was seeing & it seems that her evil eyes (bhoorii aankhein) fell on this sculpture & it was damaged then & there.

The handicrafts of Lepakshi are also quite popular among women all over the country. A tour to Lepakshi therefore cannot be missed at any cost.

How to reach

By Road

 Lepakshi is easily accessible via National Highway No. 7 if you are coming from Bangalore. The village is 15 km from the town of Anantpur and about 476 km from Hyderabad. The state runs several buses at regular intervals to Lepakshi from the nearby towns and cities. There are also deluxe buses available from Hyderabad and Bangalore that take you to Lepakshi.

By Train

There is no railway station at Lepakshi. One has to take a train going to Anantpur to reach Lepakshi. The railway station at Anantpur is connected to the rest of the country via a strong network of trains. Trains from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi pass through the town of Anantpur. You can take a taxi, or a bus to reach Lepakshi from Anantpur railway station.

By Air

The airport nearest to Lepakshi is at Hyderabad. The airport at Hyderabad is both domestic as well as international. It receives flights from major cities and towns of the country as well as from the world over. You can take a private cab from the airport to reach Lepakshi or take a train from Hyderabad Central to reach the town nearest to Lepakshi.