Lepakshi

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Shiva & Parvati playing dice 


"The ceiling paintings of the Virabhadra temple at Lepakshi are justly celebrated as being among the best preserved examples of southern Indian murals. In 1936, C.Sivaramamurti was the first to propose that the Lepakshi to propose that the Lepakshi paintings be recognized as the finest examples of Vijayanagara pictorial art." - Anna L.Dallapiccola 

Laugh at me, but the truth is that for most of my adult life Lepakshi to me was the Andhra Pradesh state emporium that sells the state’s arts, crafts, textiles etc., Even with all the admiration I had for the Vijayanagara Empire, Krishnadevaraya, the Nayaka temples and art, little did I know of the grand Virabhadra temple at Lepakshi, not very far from one of the Nayaka capital Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh. Today to visit the temple at Lepakshi is a breeze, with a super smooth and clear highway that connects Bengaluru to Hyderabad. Hindupur station has far long been the railway connection that transported pilgrims and travelers to Lepakshi.


Unfinished Kalyana Mantapa 


Lepakshi, I got to know through the murals first as books on textiles have shown references to the Kalamkari paintings and the relation to the style and motifs on the Lepakshi murals. Later one also got to know how the intricate designs on pillars of the unfinished Kalyana Mantapa at Lepakshi has been inspiration for weavers of Gadwal and elsewhere to recreate them on textiles. When internet and google opened up the world of visuals from around the world, the giant serpent hooded Shiva Linga came to light. The first photo I saw of the Murthy was so stunning that I forgot all about art and architecture and decided I should visit Lepakshi.




Lepakshi the name sounds intriguing, right? One of the stories related to it are also intriguing. The temple at Lepakshi was built in the 16th century by the governors of Vijayanagara at Penukonda, Virupanna and Veeranna. Leaving aside all other legends and the sthala purana will mention only the Virupanna’s story. Being a royal treasurer it is said Virupanna looted money and spent it on temple the Lepakshi temple construction. Enraged, the rulers (can’t believe an Achutarya who has endowed so many temples in south India could do it) ordered that Virupanna be punished. Instead of the royal decree gorging his eyes out, Virupanna self-inflicted it on himself leaving the blood stains on the walls of Lepakshi temple. The town therefore is Lepakshi, the town of blinded eye. Another legend, Puranic in nature is Rama on his search for Seetha finding the injured Jataya on the Kurma hills and saying “Le Pakshi” (meaning get up bird in Telugu).


Virupanna and Viranna with their retinue 



Once I entered Lepakshi, the excitement of being there was so overwhelming that I didn’t know for most part what I was shooting. Piecing together a few murals here and few photos of the unfinished Kalyana Mantapa – to me they are the most beautiful and most mesmerizing sight to behold. One of the points I would like to highlight is the interconnectedness of Thiruvarur, Periya Puranam and Lepakshi. A scholar and an artist on Facebook shared with me a paper he had co-authored on the drama traditions of Thiruvarur and the artistic recreation of the Siruthondar Puranam, and Manunithi Chola stories form Periya Puranam in the relief and murals of Lepakshi. I had completely missed out on the painting of Kannapaa story inside the temple, and so also the Muchukunda worshipping Thyagarajaswami at Thiruvarur.




                                                             Kiratarjunya Panel 




Parvati getting dressed up 

Ardhanarishwara, Shiva Parvati Vivaha

Draupati Swayamwara




Manunithi Chola Panel 





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