Lepakshi

Lepakshi is a village in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India, best known for the Veerabhadra Temple, a 16th-century Hindu temple built during the Vijayanagara Empire. The temple is dedicated to Veerabhadra, a fierce form of Shiva, and represents the late Vijayanagara architectural style with richly carved pillars, brackets, and ceiling panels. The complex houses a large monolithic Nandi statue carved from a single block of granite, one of the notable examples of ancient Indian sculpture. The temple walls and ceilings are decorated with frescoes from the Vijayanagara period, including scenes from Hindu epics and mythological figures.

Among its unique features is a so-called hanging pillar in the mandapa, a curiosity noted for its apparent looseness yet stability. Lepakshi attracts researchers and visitors interested in medieval Indian temple art, sculpture, and architecture, and is regarded as an important site for the study of Vijayanagara art. The site forms part of the regional heritage and contributes to the tourism economy of the area.