Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi- Andhra Pradesh
Sometime in the early 1500s
King Achutaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire
Financed the construction of the aalayam
That became an architectural marvel
Two brothers, Virupannna Mayaka and Viranna
Governors of the Empire
Built the structure by hiring
The best artisans from the kingdom
Gaining a mention in the ancient text of Skanda Purana
The walls and surfaces display the elaborate
carvings
Of scenes from the Ramayana
With musical pillars and complex patterns
With a pillar that hangs in the air
Not touching the ground
Veerebhadra aalayam is proof of talent found nowhere
else
Source: Amusing Planet
Outside in the premises stands the monolithic Nandi
Inside stands the murti of Veerabhadra
In his majestic glory
Prabhu Shiva and Maa Parvati reside in the eastern
wing
And Bhagwan Vishnu in another chamber
While a huge boulder carved into a shiv ling
With a multi-hooded serpent shielding the
lingam
Adorns the premises, attracting people from near and
far
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Virupaksha Temple, Hampi- Karnataka
It’s the Vijayanagara Empire again
With their love for art and architecture
Developed a 7th-century mandir dedicated to Prabhu Shiva
Now a World Heritage Site, standing tall
Amidst the ruins of Hampi
Surviving the destructions by the invaders
Virupaksha devalaya* was renovated in the 19th
century
To bring back its lost glory
The gopuram* is 49 meters high
Built around 1442 along with the 100 pillars
Some of which play music when tapped by a chisel
An annual chariot festival, the divine marriage
of
Bhagwan Virupaksha and his consort Devi Pampa
Bring bhakts from around the place
To celebrate the pious union
One day, we hope
The ruins of Hampi would rise again
To build a kingdom that would last for the future to
see
**************
Note:
Devalaya- Temple
Gopuram- tower
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Source:
https://www.astroved.com/astropedia/en/temples/south-india/lepakshi-temple
https://www.karnataka.com/hampi/virupaksha-temple/
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#FreeHinduTemples
So much to love in this post Sri.
ReplyDeleteThat pillar! OMG!
And the gorgeous Nandi.
Hampi has been on my travel list forever.
Praying for India and hope the silver lining doesn't take too long to show up.
Take care. xx
Thank you so much, Arti <3
DeleteAmazing pillar, isn't it! I have no words to praise it.
I hope so too. Hugs.
These are amazing temples, what an art and craft involved to make them! I like that there is also music involved, I can't remember ever having seen/heard anything like that.
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting from the A to Z master list, and am glad that I clicked on the link to your blog, I learned something new!
Thank you so much, Gunilla. I'm happy that you found the blog interesting. :)
DeleteThe naga is very majestic and so is the nandhi
ReplyDeletehttps://pagesfromjayashree.blogspot.com/2021/04/v-for-veritaserum.html
Oh, yes! They'd be even more majestic when seen from close, I guess. How I wish I could go there.
DeleteWow, I love this huge statue! These temples are beautiful, so many treasures!
ReplyDeleteThat's the famous monolithic statue in the region. True, many treasures, and a lot of them are still hidden. Thank you for visiting. :)
DeleteBeautiful post. beautiful temples. What architecture. The engineers of old times were something else
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meena. :)
DeleteOh, yes! They were true masters.
Definitely looks like work of skilled artist and hope the ruins will rise again.
ReplyDeleteYes! I hope so too. Have you been to Hampi?
DeleteNot yet. The only one in family to have not visited.
DeleteOnce my family (joint, around 15 people) took the south India tour. But they left me home to take care of home and business. :-P
Uh oh... That's not so good on their part. :/
DeleteI hope you get to visit it with your family very soon. Your kiddos would probably love running around the place. :D
Oh Hampi has been on my to visit lists for ever now!Every single time I plan something or the other comes up. Are these the snaps of what was prior to the ruins... They look so so beautiful. Don't know when I will get to visit Hampi.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to visit soon (and the pandemic subsides even sooner). No, the pics are recent from what I know. Not all of Hampi is in ruins. The temple and a few other structures have been renovated and cared for. It's a mix of ruins and life.
DeleteThe information given here is very useful and I like a lot of information that has been discussed about the Hindu temple here. Thanks for sharing useful information.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
- Talk to Astrologer
Such an incredible blog post. Thanks a lot.
ReplyDeleteask an astrologer