I know the first thing that comes to our mind when we say Lepakshi is the store which has numerous beautiful artifacts, gift items, sarees, etc to sell. But hey, I am not talking about the store but of the place called Lepakshi situated close to Bangalore, 100 km drive down at the border of Andhra Pradesh on NH7, road to Hyderabad.
As usual I will tell you the story associated with it.
The place where Rama saw the great bird Jatayu with his wings torn out and having fought Ravana valiantly awaited the arrival of Shri Ram. He tells Shri Ram about the Sita kidnap and then dies. He is raised from the dead and told to rise to the higher realms by Rama. Hence the words Lepakshi- Rise bird!
Shri Ram installed a stone linga at this hillock and thereafter Hanumana, His devotee installed another lingam.
In 1538, the rich merchant Viruppanna made this temple with 70 pillars in which one is a hanging pillar. He installed the statue of Veerbhadra, the divine form of Shiva which came from His head when Daksha was conducting the yagya in which Shiva's wife Sati jumped in. Shiva then chopped the head of Daksha in this form called Veerbhadra.
Two statues are installed with reversed base on either side of Veerbhadra.
One is a lingam with a lotus base and another is Vishnu with a pindi base.
Both these represent the universal forms of both the Gods mixed.
The walls inside contain some of the most beautiful stone carvings and the ceilings have some of the amazingly beautiful murals which are loosing to pollution now. I wish the archaeological department restores them quick.
I wondered why I landed there of all the places but then it had to be some strange place which calls me.
My dearest Guru Agatsya did tapascharya here for hundreds of years in a cave eons ago. The cave still exists. He installed a statue of the Mother Goddess Parvati there which you can still see.
Inside the temple you will also see Durga and various other forms.
There you can also see the absolutely perfect man and woman statue on the pillar.

The entrance of the temple.
The stone pillars in the Nat mantapa

The deity Veerbhadra.
The murals adorning the ceilings.
The hanging pillar
The Gods playing drums, etc.

The long corridors with the painting on the ceilings.
The stone behind which is the cave of Agatsya.

Check it out. Hope you like the pictures and the story associated with it.