The monolithic "Nandi" sculpture which is said to be the biggest monolithic Nandi in India, is synonymous with Lepakshi. It is 4.5 m high and 8.23m long.The big granite bull is on the main road, about 200 metres from the temple. It has been positioned such that it faces the shivalinga shielded by a huge serpent inside the temple. Said to be the second largest monolith in India, after Gomateswara, the Nandi sports a huge kaasu malai, a bell chain, earrings and other jewellery.
Vijayanagara architecture is a vibrant combination of the Chalukya, Hoysala, Pandya and Chola styles. Its stylistic hallmark is the ornate pillared Kalyanamantapa (marriage hall), Vasanthamantapa (open pillared halls) and the Rayagopura (tower). Artisans used the locally available hard granite because of its durability since the kingdom was under constant threat of invasion.
Another element of the Vijayanagara style is the carving of large monoliths such as the Sasivekalu (mustard) Ganesha and Kadalekalu (Ground nut) Ganesha at Hampi, the Gomateshwara statues in Karkala and Venur, and the Nandi bull in Lepakshi.
Vijayanagara art includes wall-paintings such as Dasavathara (ten avatars of Vishnu) and Girijakalyana (marriage of Goddess Parvati) in the Virupaksha temple at Hampi, the Shivapurana paintings (tales of Shiva) at the Virabhadra temple at Lepakshi
4 comments:
hey this is the largest in the world, not India alone
there is a place called chunchi ( or something In Tamilnadu which is also related to the same Period, and that was used mainly as a storage location by traders and arms storage. , this temple Hampi and that place have connections .
Hey,
Your blog is really appealing.
Your write up on yourself is really interesting.
I am also from Bangalore although far away now.
Good and keep it up.
Nandi looks awesome.... i missed it :-(
Thanks Sunand for providing the information. Lets plan to go to Chunchi sometime.
Thanks Romy for visiting my blog and liking my post.
Vin, yes, you missed this and many more as well :D
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