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A treasure trove tucked away
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Lepakshi, near Hindupur, abounds in exquisite sculptures and murals, which remain unseen and unknown, writes RUPA GOPAL.
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Nagalingeswara ... a commanding monolith.
INDIA BOASTS of temples galore, but truly, Lepakshi is one of a kind. Fabulous sculptures and murals remain practically unseen and rather unknown to the rest of the country and the world. Located 110 km from Bangalore, the nearest rail station is Hindupur, about 10 km from Lepakshi, in Andhra Pradesh.
Built in the 1500s, possibly 1538, during the reign of Aliya Rama Raya, descendant of Achuta Raya, Lepakshi is largely an unfinished saga on stone, built on a small tortoise shaped hill, a single granite outcrop, near the river Pennar.
Virupanna was the treasurer, in the ministry of Aliya Raya. He decided to build a glorious temple of his own accord. Based on the traditional lines of the architecture of Vijayanagar, the financial outlay was also vast. Virupanna was undaunted. He simply helped himself to the royal treasury. A grand sculpted spectacle on the Sivapuranam unfolded.
Jealous enemies at the royal court played mischief and made the king believe that Virupanna was vying with the king for glory, by building a temple to himself and pat came the order to blind the ambitious builder. But Virupanna had the last laugh — he gouged his eyes out, thus blinding himself. Perhaps he was convinced that he had created the heights of artistic splendour, which could never to be bettered.
Virupanna worshipping the feet of Veerabhadra (Siva here), and temple folklore engraved on the open rock greet one at the entrance. In the inner prakaram, is a cuddly Ganesha, the positioning of the left foot looking almost babylike. This piece was sculpted first, before building the temple.
A tour of the temple starts at the monolith of Nagalingeswara, opposite the potu rooms or the kitchen. The cook, while stirring endless pots of rice in the kitchen opposite, used to gaze at the naga with admiring reverence. Legend states that his admiration was so great that the rock cracked due to his evil eye!
The epitome of art ... the majestic and imposing Nandi.
A small image of the Sapta Kannikas or the seven forms of Parvati — Brahmi, Vaishnavi, Vaaraahi, Kumari, Indrani, Maheswari and Chamundi — comes next. The temple originally had seven circumambulatory paths, with the seventh located beyond rice fields and by-lanes, but today only three can be seen.
We now come to the scenes of the main unfinished drama — the Vivaha Mandiram, the marriage hall of Siva and Parvati. Himavanta, father of Parvati, carries a pot of water, ready to wash the feet of Siva, the bridegroom. Menaka Devi, mother of Parvati, holds a flower to present to the couple. A setting of the divine couple with Sage Agastya shows the couple glancing sideways at each other, like shy newlyweds, and holding four fingers (signifying the four Vedas) of each other's hand.
In the southeast corner stands Agni, with two heads, and Kubera, on a horse, stands in the north. Vayu on a deer, Indra, Vasishta and Brihaspati all grace the function.
The side entrance leads to the marriage hall set on a raised level, where all the maharishis and rajarishis are present. The outer pillars of the hall depict Darpana Sundari — a lady bedecked for the wedding, adding the final touch of the tilak, in front of a mirror. Ecstasy pervades the air, with women gymnasts doing rope tricks and ganas playing on the drums vigorously. The pillared mandapams show intricate designs — four different ones on each pillar.
Through an old arch, supposedly Bahmani in influence, we enter the Nartana Sabha or the natya mandiram, in front of the presiding deity of Veerabhadra. The pillars in this hall carry images of Siva, Parvati (also thought to be Ganga), Rambha, and dancing maidens. Music and taalam were provided by the standing figures of Sun, Tumburu, Riteshwara, Nandiswara, Moon and Sanakasa. The dance master Bringeswara is shown with three legs, in a dancing pose. He also sports a pigtail, long and decorated, and other feminine decorative elements. Fierce warriors are shown guarding the natya mandiram.
A standing example of the skill of the sculptor.
Just outside are small craters, like outer space objects, carved on the rock. Said to be eating thaalis, logic easily counters this idea.
These must have been used to pound precious stones and to grind leaves, flowers and roots, to get required colours — a giant palette for the lovely murals painted on the rock ceiling of the natya mandiram! Sages, maidens, Parvati, Gods at the wedding venue and the couple on the Nandi, in procession — the murals are fantastic and give a lovely insight into timeless sari fashions and design, ornaments and elaborate hairstyles. The grace of the presiding deities of Veerabhadra and Parvati, clothed in local cotton, is incredible.
The sight would remain fresh in one's mind — so immense is its impact.
We now leave the temple proper to go and see the Nandi in the seventh prakaram, which is about a 10-minute drive through fields and small lanes.
A cuddly Ganesha... one of the earliest sculptures of Lepakshi.
Said to be the second largest monolith in India, after Gomateswara, the Nandi sports a huge kaasu malai, a bell chain, earrings and other jewellery. It is seen gazing with devotion at Lord Veerabhadra.
Mythology states that Lepakshi is the place where Jatayu fell, wounded by Ravana while abducting Sita. Rama is said to have commanded the bird to rise — Le Pakshi, and hence the name.
The place, close to Dharmavaram, is well known for its saris.
On the inner wall of the temple, near the palettes, are two long red splashes — said to be Virupanna's bloodstains that occurred when throwing away his gouged eyes. Farfetched? Well, may be not.
The gloriously carved temple entrance ... unseen and unsung.
The ASI conducted some tests, and certified that these were indeed ancient bloodstains. But whose?
The military wrath of the Bahmanis resulted in the chopped noses of many Lepakshi sculptures.
Was it the invasion, drought, famine or just plain jealousy that stopped the completion of the sculpted drama?
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