Home»All Photographs»Temples»Veerabhadra Swamy Temple. Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh State. India

The Lepakshi temple in Andhra Pradesh, India, is steeped in folklore and legends:

• The temple's architecture
  The temple's intricate architecture is believed to have been created by artisans from the Vijayanagara dynasty. The temple's natyamantapa (dancing hall) features carvings on the pillars and ceilings that depict divine musicians, Parvati dancing, and Shiva as Nataraja.

• The hanging pillar
  The temple's hanging pillar gives the impression that it's floating due to a small gap between its base and the floor.

• The Nandi
  The temple complex is home to a huge sculpture of Nandi, the bull vehicle of Lord Shiva, made from a single granite boulder.

• The Nagalinga
  The temple's outer enclosure features a huge boulder carved into a coiled serpent with seven hoods, known as Nagalinga.

• The footprint
  The temple's courtyard is said to contain a footprint that is that of Goddess Sita.

• The name Lepakshi
  The name Lepakshi is said to come from the Telugu phrase "Le Pakshi", which means "rise, oh bird". According to one legend, the name comes from the story of Jatayu, the mythical bird who fell in this area after being wounded by Ravana while trying to rescue Sita. When Lord Rama arrived, he said "Le Pakshi" to help Jatayu attain moksha.


• The temple's dedication
  The temple is dedicated to Veerabhadra Swamy, a form of Lord Shiva that became enraged after Parvati's death. Legend has it that the temple was built on the spot where Shiva threw a clump of his hair to the ground.

This is the first album The second one will covers the various icons that were photographed at this temple.

Hope you like the photographs.

Shankar Adisesh