LEPAKSHI - PENUKONDA FORT (FROM BANGALORE)

At a distance of 400 m from Lepakshi Bus Stand, The Veerabhadra Temple is the famous temple situated in Lepakshi (this is also referred as Lepakshi Temple). It is famous for its sculptures and archaeological beauty created by the artists of Vijayanagara Empire. It is considered as one of the best temples built by Vijayanagaras and is the prime attraction of Lepakshi.

The ancient shrine was constructed by Saint Agastya which was rebuilt in the present structure by Virupanna, the treasurer of the Vijayanagara King Aliiya Rama Raya. According to the legend, Virupanna, the royal treasurer was accused of drawing funds without the king's permission from the state treasury to build the Veerabhadra temple. However, he blinded himself to avoid the king's punishment. Even today one can see two dark stains upon the wall near the Kalyana Mandapa, which are said to be the marks made by his eyes.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Veerabhadra, .....

At a distance of 500 m from Lepakshi Bus Stand and 500 m from Sri Veerabhadra Temple (Lepakshi Temple), Lepakshi Nandi (Bull) is one of the main attractions in Lepakshi and a well-known landmark for the tourism of Lepakshi. It was built during Vijayanagara period when the main Veerabhadra Temple was built.

The Lepakshi Nandi is made out of single granite. The monolithic Nandi sculpture is said to be the second largest monolithic structure in India after Gomateshwara in Shravanabelagola. It is 20 feet in height and 30 feet in length. The Nandi statue is decorated with a necklace, muvvalahara, a bell chain with small horns.

It is noticeable that the head of the bull is held aloft at a higher angle than usual. In addition, the expression of submission, which is typical of Nandi before Shiva, is not seen in the statue here.

This big granite bull is situated on the main .....

At a distance of 3 km from Penukonda Railway Station, 79 km from Anantapur, 436 km from Hyderabad, 550 km from Vijayawada and 142 km Bangalore, Penukonda Fort is a medieval fort situated at Penukonda in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Penukonda was once served as the 2nd capital of Vijayanagar Kingdom after the fall of Hampi and was earlier called as Ghanagiri or Ghanadri. According to the inscriptions, the Penukonda state was gifted by the King Bukka-I to his son Virupanna. This fort was built at the time of Virupanna. This fort was one of the best defenses of the Vijayanagara kingdom. With the decline of Vijayanagara kingdom, the Sultan of Golconda captured this fort. Later Mysore Kingdom captured this fort briefly until British overtook after the fall of Tipu Sultan.

Built on a gigantic hill, the huge and imposing fort offers a spectacular view of the town below. The basement of the walls, bastions and gateways in the .....