Lepakshi – The Largest Bull in India

Lepakshi Temple, near Bangalore, India, is built on a low, rocky hill called Kurmasailam — which translates to tortoise hill in Telugu, after the shape of the hill. The temple dates back to 1583 and was built by the brothers, Virupanna and Veeranna, who were initially in the service of the Vijayangar kings. However, Puranic lore has it that the Veerabhadra temple was built by the sage Agastya. It has idols of Ganesha, Nandi, Veerabhadra, Shiva, Bhadrakali, Vishnu and Lakshmi.

Another legend gives the town a significant place in the Ramayana — this was where the bird Jatayu fell, wounded after a futile battle against Ravana who was carrying away Sita. When Sri Rama reached the spot, he saw the bird and said compassionately, “Le Pakshi” — ‘rise, bird’ in Telugu.

Besides a Hanging Pillar, another draw is the spectacular Nandi (Bull), located almost a mile before the main temple — the first structure you will encounter. At 27ft in length and 15ft in height, it is a colossal structure, reputedly India’s biggest monolithic Nandi. Besides the record size, the perfectly proportioned body, finely-carved ornaments, and smooth contours add to its grandeur and make it a popular photo-op with visitors.

Once you reach the temple’s outer enclosure, you will see a mammoth Ganesha — hewn in stone and leaning against a rock. Perpendicular to it is a massive Naga with three coils and seven hoods. It forms a sheltering canopy over a black granite Shivalingam. It’s reckoned by many as the largest Nagalinga in India. The Nandi has been positioned so that it faces the Shivalinga inside the temple.

The Lepakshi temple also has the finest specimens of mural paintings of the Vijayanagar kings. The Lepakshi temple is close to the famed pilgrim town of Puttaparthi, where the nearest decent accommodation is available — whether in the ashram or in the Andhra Pradesh government-run Sai Aaramam. From here, it is an hour’s drive to the temple. From Hyderabad it is about 480 km and about 130 km from Bangalore. The climate is hot for most of the year and early mornings are the best time to visit.