Lepakshi - A ride to a place speaking about the glorious past.!

I have a habit of creating a list of places to be visited and list of places already visited. Every time I find a place to be interesting and feasible to be visited, I make a note of it. It was when I was in my previous job and I used to see continuous posts on Lepakshi, I came back home and added the place to the list of to be visited and it was more than 2 years since I  did that. Every time I hear about Lepakshi I used to feel I should visit this soon. And, I am now going to remove it from the list as I completed it.. :) 

Lepakshi is a typical Vijayanagara Style temple but with its own unique signatures. The 3D painting of Lord Sri Krishna is one of the master piece in the place. Its a mystery for me that how people had such skills during those days itself when they did not even have any special paints other than vegetable paint.! The richness of the empire can be seen in their temple. The Vijayanagara emperors had a very good taste and they invested on something that has made their empire's name remain in the country till date and will remain for centuries ahead.

Lepakshi is a small place in the Andhra-Karnataka border in Ananthapur district. Its History goes back to the time of  Ramayana where Ravana was attacked by Garuda and Garuda's Wings were cut by Ravana. The name Lepakshi comes from "Ley Pakshi... Ley Pakshi.. " which Lord Sri Rama called Garuda as.

There is a temple built in Vijayanagara Style. Half a Km away there is a huge Nandi statue. These are the 2 attractions of the place. Pooja is performed even today in the temple. However, every part of the temple is not completed. A Royal marriage hall of those days was started but was not completed. But, it looks incomplete only if someone says it to you. If not it looks majestic. The ceiling of the temple consists of paintings done using the vegetable colours. Unfortunately, Only parts of it are still remaining. Search for a Lord Sri Krishna's Painting and you stand from any direction, the eye of the lord looks like its staring at you. Another main attraction is the hanging pillar. A small gap  is present in the bottom of the pillar. (Due to some experiment done during British days, the pillar got tilted and one corner of the Pillar touches the ground now. :( )

Veerapuram
There is a small village around 24 Kms from Lepakshi and in 12 Kms deviation from the Lepakshi - Bangalore road. The village hosts migratory birds during their breeding season. Mainly for the painted storks. But, Birds visit the village only during a particular period of the year and unfortunately when we visited there were no birds. (We visited on 10-01-2015) Late January or from February the birds start visiting the place is what we got to know from the villagers. So, if you are visiting Lepakshi, just enquire about the place and visit if its the right time. 

How to Reach?
There are multiple routes to Lepakshi from Bangalore.

1 - Bangalore -> Airport Road -> Doddaballapura -> Gouri Bidanur -> Lepakshi

2 - Bangalore -> Airport Road -> Chikkaballapura -> Lepakshi (This route has major part as Hyderbad Highway and its better to take this route. We rode in both the roads and I would suggest this over the other one.)

Photos

The Huge Nandi Statue

The 3D painting of Lord Sri Krishna

The hanging Pillar

A sculpture of Sarpa carved by the sculptor during free time..!! (Seriously.?? I would have taken rest.. :D )

In the incomplete Marriage Hall..!!

Chikmangalore - Top destination In Karnataka

Kept in bucket List for too long time, Chikmangalore was troubling me a lot for not visiting. Its like a feeling to pee. Once you feel like doing it, every minute tend to become hours. Finally the day arrived and I was on my way to Chikmangalure From Bangalore. It was kind of 'planned sudden plan'. This time it was with my Co-Intern Friends in Philips - Sachin, Sai Krishna and Srikanth.

May be when you wait too much, the expectations grow too much that, reality cant meet it. Same happened with me in Chikmangalore. A reason to visit the place again anyways (but with lesser expectation..!! :) And, list for next visit is already up..! (Its Ballalrayana Durga trek !!)

Hired a taxi and left Bangalore at 4 am. With Kannada songs played loud, it was a fun to travel in empty road. Reached Sachin's Uncle's place and had our breakfast and left for the days' sightseeing. In plan was Kallathgiri Falls and KemmannuGundi. If it was only these 2 places on Day 1 then I would have been disappointed like anything. Both the places are not even worth visiting once in my opinion. I still wonder why Kemmannu Gundi is portrayed as one of the touristic hot spot in Karnataka. Its just a Dry garden with no flowers or even plants on a hill top.! And Kallathgiri Falls when I visited was a small stream of water around which people were washing cloths.! And while walking uphill along the stream, realized the fate of Indian Touristic places again. Whole lot of garbage around and icing on the cake for those who love dirt are the glass pieces in the water stream. If you are going there, then never ever dare to walk bare footed in the water. If you do, then dont complain like me about people who drink and throw beer bottles in water.! Yes.. I am being sarcastic here to explain the mentality of people who spoil the beautiful nature. But, on a serious note, its really hard to appreciate a place which is not maintained the way it actually should be. 

KemmannuGundi and Z Point 

Second destination was Kemmannu gundi. On the way to Kemmannu gundi, 2 kms before the peak there is a deviation to 'Z-Point'. The place which made me realize the beauty of chikmangalore. Yes, Chikmangalore is beautiful if you visit the right place and maintain it in the right way. Z point provides a decent trek and a good walk in nature. Good view points as well. After a good time, we were again ready to visit a Magnificient Sunset from Kemmannugundi and looking at the place, did not feel like waiting til sunset. If you ask me, you can skip kemmannu gundi in your trip to chikmangalore unless you are interested in a dry garden.!!

MullayyanaGiri

If you are on a trip to Chikmangalore, then even if I dont mention, you will not miss to visit this place. One of the most beautiful place in Karnataka. No wonder.. Being the highest peak in Karnataka, it should be! Green carpet all around and cold breeze. To kill your thirst to visit a beautiful place on that weekend.. :) Approach road is narrow and also lot of pot holes in the road. If you are going in a small car, think twice. When we had been there, we have seen cars finding it difficult to clear the ghat.! But, its definitley worth taking some risk and driving to hill top and go to the highest peak in the state. 

Exploring any place you go is always a must. walk around and you will find some nice places. In mullayanagiri, walk a little further from peak towards the other side, and you will find 2 caves. After coming back searched in net but did not find much info except what we saw there. The caves look like man made and is lengthy. We went a little distance and found too many bats from where we returned. Absolute darkness inside and its a nice experience. :) 

Overall Chikmangalore did not meet my expectation. So, I have decided - I am going there again but with little less expectation.. :) After all we need a reason to travel.!

How to reach ?

To be frank, I have not recorded any of the routes and reaching these points are not difficult since they are very touristic :P So this time I escape from giving routes. :|

Photos

In Kallathgiri Falls

In Z-Point.. :)

Way to Z Point 

Way to Z Point

View From Z Point

Way to Mullayanagiri Hill top from the car parking area

View from MullayanaGiri Hill top

The cave in Mullayanagiri - Worth going a distance in this.