Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi: History, Timings & Visitor Guide

Veerabhadra Temple is open every day, usually from early morning to late evening with a break in the afternoon. Darshan and aarti timings change with the season and on festival days.

• MorningOpens early morning (around 5 to 6 AM)
• AfternoonShort break around midday at many temples
• EveningEvening aarti around sunset, closes by about 8 to 9 PM

Ask the temple office on arrival for the day's aarti schedule.

Dress Code & Temple Rules

• DressModest, traditional clothes covering shoulders and knees
• FootwearRemove before entering; use the shoe stand
• PhotographyNot allowed inside the sanctum
• Not AllowedLeather items, tobacco, alcohol, non-veg food
• QueueFollow queue lines and staff instructions on festival days

The temple was built in 1530 AD (1540 AD is also mentioned) by Virupanna and Viranna, brothers who were courtiers under the Vijayanagar Empire during the reign of King Achyuta Deva Raya, at Penukonda. The temple consists of 21 inscriptions. Several of them are in kannada script and sanskrit language. The cost of building the temple was defrayed by the government.

According to Skanda Purana, the temple is one of the divyakshetras, an important pilgrimage site of Lord Shiva.

Architecture of Veerabhadra Temple

The temple is of the Vijayanagara architectural style. The main temple is laid out in three parts, these are: The assembly hall known as the Mukha mantapa or Natya mantapa or Ranga mantapa; arda mantapa or antarala (ante chamber); and the garbhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum. The temple, as an edifice, is encircled by two enclosures. The outermost walled enclosure has three gates, the northern gate is used regularly. The inner east gate is the entry to the assembly hall, which is a large sized open hall designed with a large space in its central part.

It is at the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum and has a profusion of sculptures and paintings over every inch of space on the columns and ceiling. The images on the pillars and walls are of divine beings, saints, guardians, musicians, dancers and 15 Mahesha murtams of Shiva. According to Chapter 3 of Dr. Adeesh Babu’s PhD thesis Iconographical Studies: Being of Allegories in the Paintings of Lepakshi Temple, fifteen Maheshamurtam forms are identified in Panel B1, including Kalantaka Murti, Jalandhara Vadha Murti, Vyakhyana Dakshinamurti, Vishnuprasada Murti, Kankala Murti, Harihara Murti, Kirata Murti, Ardhanarishwara Murti, Vaivahiya Murti, Chaturbhujatripurandaka Murti, Ganga Visarjana Murti (Gangadhara Murti), Nataraja Murti, Vrishavahana Murti, Kevalachandrashekara Murti, and Uma Maheshwara. Figurines of the goddesses Ganga and Yamuna flank the entrance to the sanctum. The exterior columns of this hall are built over a decorated plinth; the decorations are in the form of blocks of carved images of horses and soldiers. The columns are slim and have features of colonnettes carved with eaves, overhanging in a curved shape. The open space in the middle part of the hall is defined by large columns or piers which have carvings of triple figures.