Blame it on the isolated months of the pandemic and successive lockdowns or just the natural enthusiasm of the Elsa community , but the excitement over leaving for Lepakshi, the first TravELSA trip in almost two years, had already reached fever pitch on Whatsapp. So, when seventeen Elsas and Elsa friends boarded a chartered bus headed for the famous Lepakshi temple, laden with enough snacks for an army battalion and at least one birthday cake, it had all the air of a school picnic. Accompanied by the redoubtable guides Meera Iyer and Pankaj Modi of Carnelian, a company that specialises in journeys into India’s heritage, we were equipped to feed both mind and body.
Thanks to the impeccable planning, we started on schedule, cruising down the NH44 towards Hyderabad. Which was just as well because the breakfast stop at Nandi Upachar took longer than expected. By the time the flustered staff had sorted out nineteen different orders and Linika’s birthday celebrations had been flagged off with the cutting of a delicious chocolate cake, our timing was somewhat off kilter. So, it was close to eleven by the time we saw the first sign of the entrance to Lepakshi.
A gigantic sculpture of a North American Bald Eagle ready to take flight off a massive boulder! ‘Welcome to Jatayu Theme Park’ the sign said. A collective chill ran down our spines. Were we to see more such travesties up ahead? Luckily not.
The Veerabhadra Lepakshi temple, emerging organically out of a low hill strewn with granite rocks, was a breath-taking sight. Built in the early 16th century by the brothers Veeranna and Virupanna, viceroys of the Vijayanagara ruler, it boasts all the elements of typical Vijaynagara architecture and decorative elements. Being a living temple, we had to shed our footwear at the entrance and tread gingerly across the already warm stone flagged floors. But discomfort was the last thing on our minds.
Meera and Pankaj talked us through the various phases of temple construction, beginning with the rock cave-like garbha griha with the main shrine of Shiva in his Veerabhadra form. An immense mural of Veerabhadra is painted on the ceiling with the soot of centuries unfortunately obscuring the intricate details. Things got a little humid inside with crowds milling about and having to keep our masks on. Luckily, the obligingly multilingual priest was able to conduct a quick puja for us all.
Back out in the Natya mandapa, we wandered amidst the seventy stone pillars sculpted with life size dancers and their audience of deities accompanying them with musical instruments. We gawked in awe at the still vibrant murals depicting tales from the Shivapurana. And marvelled at the unusual sighting of historical figures – the founding brothers Veeranna and Virupanna appear all in all their courtly glory, wearing intriguing costumes of flowing robes and tall conical embroidered caps.
Skirting the courtyard, with plenty of photo montages curated by Sanjari and Henna, we made our way around the gigantic seven headed granite serpent guarding a lingam to the Kalyana mandapam. Here the atmosphere is poignant. Celestial guests on the carved pillars anticipate the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. But with the decline of the once great Vijayanagara empire, funds probably dried up. The hall is unfinished, open to the sky and the gods wait in vain. A small side hall has pillars carved with thirty-six different kinds of creepers, designs that are still found on sarees made in the region today.
Leaving the temple complex after a brief stopover to the admire the exquisite monolithic Nandi bull, the largest such in India, and saving Pushkina from the advances of a Romeo with the smooth pick-up line “Madam, one selfie plizzz”, we headed back for a late lunch. This time, Nandi Upachar was ready for us.…Ushering us into a private hall, the senior manager was on hand to make sure things ran smoothly!
Thanks to the impeccable planning, we started on schedule, cruising down the NH44 towards Hyderabad. Which was just as well because the breakfast stop at Nandi Upachar took longer than expected. By the time the flustered staff had sorted out nineteen different orders and Linika’s birthday celebrations had been flagged off with the cutting of a delicious chocolate cake, our timing was somewhat off kilter. So, it was close to eleven by the time we saw the first sign of the entrance to Lepakshi.
A gigantic sculpture of a North American Bald Eagle ready to take flight off a massive boulder! ‘Welcome to Jatayu Theme Park’ the sign said. A collective chill ran down our spines. Were we to see more such travesties up ahead? Luckily not.
The Veerabhadra Lepakshi temple, emerging organically out of a low hill strewn with granite rocks, was a breath-taking sight. Built in the early 16th century by the brothers Veeranna and Virupanna, viceroys of the Vijayanagara ruler, it boasts all the elements of typical Vijaynagara architecture and decorative elements. Being a living temple, we had to shed our footwear at the entrance and tread gingerly across the already warm stone flagged floors. But discomfort was the last thing on our minds.
Meera and Pankaj talked us through the various phases of temple construction, beginning with the rock cave-like garbha griha with the main shrine of Shiva in his Veerabhadra form. An immense mural of Veerabhadra is painted on the ceiling with the soot of centuries unfortunately obscuring the intricate details. Things got a little humid inside with crowds milling about and having to keep our masks on. Luckily, the obligingly multilingual priest was able to conduct a quick puja for us all.
Back out in the Natya mandapa, we wandered amidst the seventy stone pillars sculpted with life size dancers and their audience of deities accompanying them with musical instruments. We gawked in awe at the still vibrant murals depicting tales from the Shivapurana. And marvelled at the unusual sighting of historical figures – the founding brothers Veeranna and Virupanna appear all in all their courtly glory, wearing intriguing costumes of flowing robes and tall conical embroidered caps.
Skirting the courtyard, with plenty of photo montages curated by Sanjari and Henna, we made our way around the gigantic seven headed granite serpent guarding a lingam to the Kalyana mandapam. Here the atmosphere is poignant. Celestial guests on the carved pillars anticipate the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. But with the decline of the once great Vijayanagara empire, funds probably dried up. The hall is unfinished, open to the sky and the gods wait in vain. A small side hall has pillars carved with thirty-six different kinds of creepers, designs that are still found on sarees made in the region today.
Leaving the temple complex after a brief stopover to the admire the exquisite monolithic Nandi bull, the largest such in India, and saving Pushkina from the advances of a Romeo with the smooth pick-up line “Madam, one selfie plizzz”, we headed back for a late lunch. This time, Nandi Upachar was ready for us.…Ushering us into a private hall, the senior manager was on hand to make sure things ran smoothly!
We had just enough time for a brief stopover at Devanahalli fort, the birth place of Tipu Sultan and a fine example of military architecture of the time.
On the way home, the rains that had been threatening all day, finally came lashing down. As the bus waded its way into Bangalore, our most pressing concern was TravELSA’s next destination!-
