A Serpent and a Bull

by Madhu Reddy

Next time you pass through a non-descriptive town, don’t be impatient; hold your interest just long enough and you might discover some solitary moments craved in stone. The temples of Lepakshi fall in such category. The small dusty village lends its name to the famous cottage industries of Andhra Pradesh, but the village and the stone treasures here are virtually off the main tourist circuit.

Located 150 km from Bangalore and a short drive from the famous Puttaparthi town of Sai Baba, Lepakshi’s temples get a small share of tourists, and you will find mostly locals from the nearest town of Hindupur who come to worship in the still standing 16^th century temples.

The shrine dedicated to the mighty Shiva and his consort Parvati is considered as one of the important Shivaite destinations in Southern India, the other famous one in Gokarna. Sited on a single granite tortoise shaped outcrop, the temple showcases large monolith sculptures, stone pillars laced with intricate carvings and murals, which fill the space with the glory of yester years. Collectively they are all a fine synthesis Vijaynagar art, akin to their famous counterparts in Hampi.

At a first glance sections of the temple may look incomplete, as if in ruins but the truth is the temple was never fully completed. Maybe if it had, they would share the stage with their famous cousin temples in Hampi.

A day might seem enough but a design student can spend many months tracing the history of textile patterns here, most still used in the famous silk sarees borders: Lepakshi's motifs are still weaved into the fabric of 21st century lives, bridging the years.

Legends surround the temple; guides claim that the impressive lingam shaded by the seven head serpent was carved while the sculptors waited for their mother to prepare their lunch. Parvati and Shiva were married in this temple; a hanging pillar bears the weight off the temple. Imagination of a slightly bored guide perhaps? Perhaps but the legends and myths add to the mysteries.

The legend of the hanging pillar has intrigued many. The delicate balance and theory tested by a British architect who in his attempt to “save” the temple in fact did the opposite. One can still see the gap of this disturbed pillar but only after significant damage was done, the experiment stopped before the architect bought the whole temple down.

One just has to follow the crowd to see this pillar above which you can find some of the amazing natural dye murals. Most fascinating of the murals are the fashions of the past, saree designs, the “Kulavi” headgear of the men, the jewellery of the era all sketching the outline of the past. Black soot from the prayer lamps lit for centuries have dulled the lustre of these paintings but the exquisite work makes it presence known.

Last but not the least, is the giant stone monolith bull 500m away from the main temple. Once again said to have been carved in leisure time by the sculptor. “Basavanna” or “Nandi”, it’s the Shiva vehicle, waiting for his lord, ready to go. But this giant seems content to stay. Standing 15ft tall and 27 ft wide the impressive largest “Nandi Bull” is delicately adorned with bells. Just the green manicured grass seems out of place.

The art of seeing temples in India is not noticing the historical or architectural aspect of the structures but seeing them in context of their place in modern life, so a 16^th century obscure temple to the world is still alive for few.

Take a moment to see small town life unfold, priests taking time to talk to the patrons, a local troupe of villagers singing devotional songs, kids playing with abandon in the pillared corridors of the past. Take a moment to stand still and transport your imagination.