Mystic Chikmagalur

Reminiscing Lepakshi

Lord Rama said "Le Pakshi" when it was bleeding , fighting for  life. Ravana had chopped off 2 wings, it was in great pain, but when heard from lord rama it conquer all his pain.

We are in the middle of vijaynagara dynasty , a small village near Hindupur. Sometimes you want to go back to your history and want to relish the story from your childhood. Who cares those are story or myth. Just want to go with the flow of the memory, when your grandfather told you the story of Ramayana and you were just gobbling them as its playing  in front of your eyes. I never believe in god, but now after visiting this place, started believing that only god can make this kind of gigantic structure.

One day it just came into mind that for a long time we never went for any long drive, we have never tasted the breeze of wind, we have not done any crazy thing. So within next two hours I planned  another trip, probably last trip for 3 musketeers. This time everything is changed. Aramis is a family person now. So he is not allowed to do what he wants. Prothos  is out of the market for a long time. So we introduce a new D'artang this time. But all of them are safe player. They don't want to drive a bike for 60 KM any more. Now Aramis have a car. So he is not ready to be bite by scorching heat. May be effect of AC in closed car. Somehow they convinced me to drop the plan to go by bike and accept the plan if I am ready to go by car. After a small thinking I also decided to go by car, to feel a car drive experience. So this time there is no story of losing path or making foolish. Everything is either mechanic or driven by Google map.

We started our journey from Bangalore around 10 AM and took the Hyderabad highway for our destination. It's all about 120 KM one way and by car it's neither  a big distance or nor a romantic drive. Though  the road is enjoyable as the surroundings are beautiful . As usual we have our some specific pit stop like mayura bakery for egg puff, some tea stall what according to us is the best in the road trip.

We reached at lepaksi without any hitch .  Aramis is still a learner as a car driver.  When he find road with full of people, started panicking. I was able to see how much he was palpitating when he was driving by a local village, through a small market, full of passerby. Anyway we reached the destination safely. Now the question is what to see. The famous Nandi Bull rock is clearly visible but other than this what is here. We 3 were clueless about this. so we decided to park the car there and get down to find the answer. This Nandi Bull is one of the famous in Asia as it is made by one single  rock. It's the largest monolithic nandi bull in Asia. We tried our luck to get some selfi with lord nandi and captured some. Then we all three had one big question. What next. where is the temple? what we saw in Wikipedia. There is a  enquiry office along with a restaurant and this is the only one restaurant , which is just 100 meter from this nandi rock. One travel officer with smiling face nodded greatly for our question and reply "Just 2 min" . Now a suggestion, never believe any guy who says the destination is "just here". Internal meaning of this phrase is , you have to go by foot at least 2 KM.  The same story happened here. We believe that guy and started walking. And after 2 KM we found the temple. 

 While entering the temple it give us a feeling like we are going to rejuvenate the vijaynagar kingdom once again. when I saw the sculpture I was just spellbound, I can't imagine how man can make this sculpture. Another story of this temple is , two brothers Virana and Viruppana were waiting for their lunch. Their mother told them to wait as she is preparing the food, those two brothers could not find any other work, in the meantime they made this temple!!! In this calm, clean atmosphere mind is telling to belief this story though brain had different version. But who cares about brain at this place. Just cherish the moments and enjoy the history, and we did the same. Each and every wall of the temple is full of sculpture, and they are still visible, I was just trying to imagine how some people with simple instrument could make it happen.

There is an open space where at least 60-70 pillars are standing with all figure of goddess and  one of  the pillar is hanging. I still don't have a clue how a pillar can hang like this without falling down. Google is telling like this:” This is the pillar which does not rest on the ground fully,” the guide said, rising to stand beside us, and beaming triumphantly, almost as if he were the architect of this marvel. There are about 70 pillars at this fabulous 16th-century temple of stone in Vijayanagar style, but this one is the best known and a tribute to the engineering genius of ancient and medieval India’s temple builders. However, it is a bit dislodged from its original position — it is said that during the British era, a British engineer tried to move it in an unsuccessful attempt to uncover the secret of its support.

May be this is the reason India was always a land of mystery and will be.

After 2 hours of nurturing our old history we left the place and heading to Bangalore. While coming back I was thinking about our old trips, all the old images coming in front of my eyes like lost in the way at night, lost in hill, planning, tiger, leeches and lots more.

 

Ok now for food, which is one of the most important part of our journey, if you like Andhra mess food you are saved then, One Govt. restaurant serve Andhra meal which is delicious, and if you don’t like this food then your only option is cake and biscuit. And also don’t forget to take sunglass and hat, it was too hot in January month even it was cold at Bangalore. So carry a lot of water and energy drink.

P.S - For more picture of lepakshi just browse the right side album, you will get few more...




Over and out........................