Lepakshi Temple: Where Jatayu lay wounded waiting for Lord Rama

When Jatayu was lying wounded on the ground after a fierce battle with Ravana, he was saving his last breaths for Lord Rama. All he wanted was to convey Sita mata's whereabouts to the lord.

Bengaluru, Oct 24: Deepawali is when the entire country lights up to celebrate the homecoming of Lord Rama, wife Sita, brother Laxman and lord Hanuman to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. Jatayu, a demi-god who has the form of a vulture, holds a special place in Ramayana because he fought valiantly with Ravana when he abducted Sita, but was overpowered and left mortally wounded. So, a mention of Lepakshi Temple in Andhra Pradesh, which is where Jatayu fell fighting Ravana, is inevitable as we adorn our homes and light our corridors for Diwali.

Located on a small hillock called Kurmasaila or the tortoise hill, Lepakshi temple has some fascinating facets and history attached to it - the first one being the legend behind the name Lepakshi.

The sacrifice of Jatayu and Sita footprint

The Aranya Kanda of Valmiki's Ramayana says that Jatayu was the son of Aruna and a nephew of Garuda. A demi-god in the form of vulture, Jatayu was an old friend of king Dasharath of Ayodhya, father of Lord Rama.

When Ravana abducted Sita in the pushpak vimana she was extremely sad and afraid. She was lamenting and was calling all the trees, creepers, birds and animals of the forest and requesting them to inform Lord Rama about her sad plight.

Hearing Sita's cries for help, Jatayu sprung into action and attempted to protect her. Jatayu first tried to appeal to Ravana's sense of duty and righteousness as a king, asked him to refrain from such an act that would ruin his name as a king. Ravana, however, was in no mood to concede or be dissuaded. Thus began a fierce battle between Jatayu and Ravana. Jatayu attacked him with his sharp beak and talons but he was no match for the King of Lanka. The demon king then used Chandrahasa, a weapon he had got from the gods, and sliced off Jatayu's wings with his sword and escaped. Not able to withstand Ravana's power, Jatayu fell off to the ground.

As Jatayu was the only witness to Ravana's action, Sita left a giant footprint on the stone which one can witness even today. It is said that after Sita was abducted, it started to rain and the water got collected in her footprint. It is this water that gave Jatayu the strength to remain alive till he could meet Lord Rama and his brother Laxman and inform them about Sita mata's whereabouts. Given the legend, the water that fills the footprint is considered very holy.

While searching frantically for Sita, Lord Rama and Laxman found a wounded Jatayu lying on the rock. Jatayu narrated the entire incident and also pointed towards the direction in which Ravana had taken Sita mata with him. Jatayu fulfilled his duties and died. Lord Rama helped him to attain moksha by uttering the words 'Le Pakshi'. Le Pakshi in the local language Telugu means 'Rise, bird' and thus, the name of this village.

Village of the blinded eye

There's another tale behind how the village got its name. It is said that the temple was built by two brothers - Virupanna and Veeranna, who were the Governors of the Vijayanagar Kings during the reign of King Achutaraya, at Penukonda who were native to Karnataka. It is said that while the king was away, Veeranna had conceived the idea of constructing a temple in honour of his patron deity, Veerabhadra, for which he used up the royal treasury to fund the increased cost of construction without consulting him. The temple was ready, when the King came to know about it and ordered that Veeranna's eyes be gouged out. Upset with the King Achutaraya's sentence, Viranna gouged his own eyes and rubbed it on the temple wall. The two red blotches on the wall of the temple is said to be blood marks of Veeranna's eyes. Hence, some believe that Lepakshi owe its name to this tragedy meaning 'village of the blinded eye'.

An architecture marvel

Lepakshi temple also known as Veerbhadra temple is famous for its excellent architecture and engineering marvel. Carved out of rock, this magnificence in stone speaks volumes about the great Vijayanagara Empire.

Built in 16th-century, Lepakshi temple is dedicated to Virbhadra, a fierce incarnation of Lord Shiva. Other deities worshiped here include Lord Vishnu, Papavinaseswara, Parvati, Bhadrakali, Hanumalinga, Raghunatha, Ramalinga, and Sayanagara.

Monolithic Bull (Nandi)

One of the major attractions near the main Lepakshi temple is the monolithic idol of Nandi (the bull) that is chiselled out of a single granite stone. The magnificent Nandi scales to around 4.5m in height. Besides the record size, it is a remarkable piece of artistic beauty with the perfectly proportioned body, finely-carved ornaments, and excellent workmanship. The Nandi faces the Shiva-Linga located at Sri Veerabhadra temple.

The temple consists only Kannada inscriptions and is enclosed by two walls and can be divided into three sections - the 100-pillared Natya Mandapa (dance pavilion); the Ardha Mandapa (foyer) and the sanctum; and the Kalyana Mandapa (wedding hall).

The ceilings of the Natya and Ardha Mandapa have several murals illustrating scenes from the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas.

Unfinished Kalyana Mandapa

Kalyana Mandapa or the marriage hall is an open structure behind the main temple in the inner enclosure, which has 38 pillars with intricate carvings. It is believed that Lord Shiva and Parvati got married at this mandapa, before they left for their abode in Mount Kailash. The carvings in this beautiful mandapa depicts the marriage ceremony of Shiva and Parvati. Several gods and saints from heaven who were believed to be a part of this wedding ceremony including Vishnu and Yamraj can also be seen in the pillars.

To the south of the temple, there is a seven-headed serpent shielding a Shivalinga, also a sculpture of Ganesha and a snake, spider and elephant worshipping a linga.

The mystery of the Hanging Pillar

Among the 70 stoned pillars in the vicinity, there is one pillar that which does not rest on the ground fully. Known as the hanging pillar, any thin object can be passed through its base. It is said that the pillar has been bit dislodged from its original position, a defect attributed to a British civil engineer who tried to move it in an unsuccessful attempt to uncover the secret behind the architecture feat. It was then established that this pillar is indeed the one which is the main base of the entire temple and is holding the weight of the entire structure.

In all, the temple preserves important examples of Vijayanagara sculptures and paintings, and is a unique example of continuity of traditions, creative idea and knowledge of Chalukyas, Hoyasalas and Kakatiyas combined with local customs.

Another speciality of Lepakshi temple is its beautiful murals depicting scenes from Mahabharata, Ramayana and other Pauranic legends. The temple bears witness to the only surviving fresco paintings of mid Vijayanagara Period. The technique of Vijayanagara paintings formed a base for the art of fresco paintings continued by the successor and other kingdoms of South India.'

Considering the sheer cultural and historical significance of the temple, it has now found a place on the tentative list of the World Heritage Committee and the same was published on the UNESCO World Heritage.