Lepakshi
Arvind and I were travelers at heart - wanderers. It so happened that Nature obliged with an occupation in the travel industry, and as the world beckoned, we went. However, for road trips primarily within Karnataka with Arvind's dad, we only explored a little of what India had to offer. Once we moved back, we set out on a plan to drive from Bangalore to Rishikesh. This involved cutting across Andhra, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi on the onward journey, and we were game. Our first historic halt was Lepaksi, within a 2-hour drive from Bangalore. Lepakshi is in the Satya Sai district (previously Anantapur district) of Andra Pradesh, about 150 km from our home. Lepakshi is known for the Virabhadra temple built by the Vijayanagara Kings. The temple dates back to the 15th century. The temple complex is large and sprawling. It is famous for the largest monolith Nandi and the Nagalinga. The sculptures in the pillars are exquisitel...