Lepakshi Temple

-  Hanging Pillar And Other Architectural Expertise

By Tharangini

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Thank you for joining me from part III

The story of the hanging pillar of Lepakshi is definitely not a new one, but it still does not fail to intrigue.  Of the 70 pillars in the dancing hall, one pillar was the chosen one. Hanging from the ceiling in a perfectly straight manner, this pillar balances the weight of all the other pillars around it. Such an immaculate calculation of the place, weight, angle and positioning of the pillar!!!

The hanging pillar

It hung there for centuries together till 1902. A  British engineer, during their rule in India, in a bid to figure out more about this pillar, tried to move it. The result of one part slightly scraping the ground had a domino effect on all the pillars around and all of them tilted. Needless to say, the engineer did not pursue his experiment anymore. Now the pillar stands, with one end on the ground and three corners still hanging. 

Miraculously, the temple still stands and continues to attract the attention of people worldwide.

The interlocking blocks on the compound wall

The outer compound wall is made of huge interlocking stones. A feature that is seen in a lot of places in Hampi too. Their expertise in subtly adjusting massive stones to form such a sturdy structure is more than laudable. 

The seven hooded snake

Going around the temple, we came to the southeast side where a massive seven-headed coiled snake stood guard over a black stone linga.  Almost every carving in this temple had its own share of interesting legend, so why would this snake be left behind. 

According to the legend, once a group of sculptors working in the temple came for their afternoon lunch. Their mother was not yet done with the preparation, so she asked them to wait a bit. Now, these guys were beyond enterprising, so decided to carve this massive monolithic Naga or snake while they waited. Not just that, they finished it by the time the lunch was prepared. I do not know if they were that fast or their mother was so slow in preparing lunch, but the Naga is fantastic. Who has ever been this productive on an empty stomach, that too while waiting for lunch? 

Their mother came out and saw what had professed in that short time and was so shocked and surprised that the snake sculpture cracked in three places by her mere look. Since cracked or damaged figurines are not worshipped, this snake is also not worshipped. Later King Achyutharaya is said to have placed the black stone linga under the hood, over the coils of the snake. 

Nandi In the outskirts of the city

Since every linga should have a Nandi in front of it, the Nandi we saw right in the beginning plays this role. However now with almost half a village between them, the Nandi as I had mentioned earlier, finds itself in the outskirts of the town.  

Sri Kala Hasthi

The seven sisters -
Avatars of Parvathi

Lord Ganesha

Lord Ganesha who is considered to be the remover of all obstacles in Hinduism, sits red and rotund, very close to the seven-headed snake. Virupanna apparently started his temple project after seeking blessings from this Ganesha idol. After years of overzealous devotees smearing vermillion all over this Ganesha during various festivals, Ganesha now permanently looks red. 

Remember the Thandeswaram linga I had mentioned about in the first part of the Lepakshi posts. Right in front of that linga are also two mandapas built by the same king, king Madhavavarma. The mandapas are used for yajnas or poojas during the Shivaratri and during Ugadi festivals. These mandapas and the linga date back almost 800 years, much older than the temple.

Even after four parts the temple still had more to offer. Though I've tried to contain it in five parts, the epic journey can go on for much longer. Join me for the Final Part here. 

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