Lepakshi-A Landmark for Art and Architecture

876 Pillars, 280 Unique designs, 450 Stunning paintings and limitless beauty! Could there bebetter reasons for this visit? While we don’t always need reasons for doing something this worth. Isn’t it?

We as ‘Pacific Traveller*(Read the foot note to know more)’ decided to visit Lepakshi, to experience the grandeur! Our journey started from Kempagowda land to Vijayanagara’s Lepakshi, a small and beautiful village with a range of mountains on one side.We have reached Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, famously known as Lepakshi temple.

Let me try to put my experience while entering the temple, in words. Initially, the outer temple made me feel like am a giant elephant, while the temple was just an ant. It took me not too long to enter the temple and laugh at my own thoughts. I realized, I was the ant there and Lepakshi, the giant.

Lepakshi has a great history of art and architecture. With the innumerable master pieces in place, the very special ones to be noticed are the Monolithic Nandi, Natya Mandapa, Ardha Mandapa and GarbhaGriha, Hanging Pillar, Unfinished Kalyana Mandapa, Lata Mandapa, Nagalinga and Shivalinga. I know I know! There are way too many show pieces. Do not be surprised if I ended up missing any J

The gems that I have mentioned are what pull many visitors to Lepakshi. In this digital world of no boundaries, one can also visit and experience these virtually on the internet and through multiple travel blogs. I attempt here, through the eyes of ‘Timeless Arts’ to present more interesting factors in front of you. Scroll down to experience them!

Let me remind you once again, that Lepakshi is a place with numerous assets to the world of arts.

The Gallery:

Like I started with, let us talk about the 876 Pillars. Wow! Is that not the reaction you had? Am sure it was! Not stopping at that, but they have 280 Unique design patterns. Yes. No design repeated in the entire temple. These remain golden assets for every person who pursues or enjoys art. We already see the inspiration of Lepakshi in the field of fashion. Yes, the sarees!

We were then lost in the thought of how the sculptor would have got these beautiful and unique patterns. On further observation, we noticed these designs had the most common things around us viz flowers, birds, animals and plants incorporated in them. And then, it is understood that the sculptor drew his inspiration from none other than the magnificent nature. Take a look at them, yourself.

Wewere sure as a matter of fact, that one day is never enough to see what Lepakshi stages. Years would not be enough to see each masterpiece. With a new perspective of art unveiling itself each day, its obvious. Is it not?

Lifestyle and Fashion:

We live in a world, where people are more inclined towards modern fashion. I am no exception, till, I visited Lepakshi.

I realized, people who lived many years ago had a different sense of style and it was evident in their work. One could say, it is a style that competes and might even be better than some of the fashion we have today.

On a closer look, you see the truth. The designs are in the nature and there are just so many of them.We are just sucking in what the nature has to offer for us! I am sure, we would never run out of some new inspiration from nature, ever. Don’t you think so?

Mural Paintings:

The mural paintings are the wonders of Lepakshi. Lepakshi remains a repository of finest Mural paintings of Vijayanagara Period.

Each painting has a story in itself, which has a message around society, religion and lifestyle of people. These paintings are on the ceilings. They are made with natural pigments and I think that’s why they are so lively till date.

These paintings reflected passion and emotion of the artist. They make us travel to a world of our own imagination! What a journey it was, to us!

On that note, we hope we could take you to Lepakshi with us, through our words!

To add to this journey, here are some visuals. We believe they would add to your experience of Lepakshiand also feel the soul of the artist behind it.

* Pacific Traveller — Nature, art and design are what drive us. We are a group of people, who travel and share our travel experiences with the world, in the name of ‘Pacific Traveller’. We hope you relate to these inspirations and lovenature offers to us. Explore our stories of artwith Pacific Traveller

Some other Arts from Lepakshi

Originally published at http://pacifictraveller.net.