Veerabhadra Temple is a 16th-century temple at Lepakshi or Lapakshi in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh state, India. This temple at Lepakshi is famous for its sculptures, carvings, and paintings. This temple is among the divyakshetras (holy temples) for Lord Shiva devotees.

Veerabhadra Temple.

The temple is constructed in the Vijayanagara style of architecture. It is constructed in 1530 or 1540, during the reign of King Achutaraya of the Vijayanagar dynasty.  It was constructed by two brothers, Virupanna Nayaka and Viranna, governors under King Achutaraya.

Lepakshi Veerabhadra Temple Ceiling Paintings

Lepakshi Temple mural paintings include scenes from the great epics, Ramayana & Mahabharata, and Puranas, depicting the Vijayanagara pictorial art in its full grandeur. The fresco paintings inside the antechamber are said to be the largest such painting in Asia. These Lepakshi fresco paintings are well preserved.

Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi has two enclosures. The outer one has three gates; the northern gate is the one that is usually used. The eastern inner gate takes you to the assembly hall, at the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum (sanctum sanctorum means the innermost sacred place in any Hindu temple). Sculptures and paintings adorn every inch of the hall and the ceiling. 14 avatars of Lord Shiva are depicted on the pillars in this hall. Small statues of goddesses Ganga and goddesses Yamuna can be seen at the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum.

Carvings of Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu in Veerabhadra temple.

Carved images of soldiers, horses, etc, can be seen on the exterior columns of this hall. Pictures of Goddesses Parvathi, Lord Shiva’s consort, flanked by female attendants can be seen on the southwest part of the hall. The northeastern part of this hall has a painting showing Natesha with Brahma and a drummer on each side.

There is a “hanging pillar“, an engineering wonder,  in this temple. One out of a total of seventy pillars hangs from the ceiling. You can pass thin objects like a sheet of paper or a piece under this pillar.

Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi is classified as a Monument of National Importance, by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Around 600 meters from this temple, there is a  colossal statue of Nandi, carved out of a single stone. It is one of the largest Nandi statues in the world.

How Do I Go to Veerabhadra Temple and the Nandi Statue at Lepakshi?

Veerabhadra Temple is situated on the southern side of Lepakshi town (also spelled as Lapakshi), around 600 meters from the city center.

Lepakshi Temple is at a distance of around 140 kilometers from Bangalore. Lepakshi  Veerabhadra Temple is around 35 kilometers from Penukonda Town, a nearby major town in the Anantapur district. Hindupur is another nearby city.