During the 16th century, the king of the Vijayanagara Empire, Aliya Rama Raya, endowed Lepakshi. So that's when this village came into existence. There are many stories behind how this place got its name. One of the legends says that the royal treasurer of Aliya Rama Raya, Virupanna, was accused of withdrawing funds without the permission of the king. He did that for building the Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi. However, before he could be punished, he blinded himself to avoid the punishment and that's how the city got its name "Lepa-akshi". There are more stories associated with the village so get here and know more about them. Below we highlight some of the best places to visit in Lepakshi.

The first place of interest, in Lepakshi, is situated half a km away from the Lepakshi bus stand. Don't get confused if you hear people calling it the Lepakshi Temple, it's the other name of the temple and is well-known by this name. The temple is quite popular for its archaeological beauty and marvelous architecture. It's a dedication to Lord Veerbhadara — an incarnation of Lord Shiva — and was built on a low altitude hillock. The shape of the temple is like a tortoise. With two large enclosures, the temple looks beautiful where the inner walls are surrounded by a large mandapa with amazingly carved pillars. Out of the 35 pillars in the temple, there is one pillar that remains suspended a few inches above the floor. Don't believe us? Come and see for yourself.

The next on our list is Kalyana Mandapa which is situated 400 m from Lepakshi city center, inside the Veerabhadra Temple complex. Located on the rear side of the main Lepakshi Temple, it has extensive artistic work and it's built on an elevated platform. People constructed this structure to perform the Kalyana ceremony for Parvathi and Lord Shiva during the annual festivals of the temple. The mandapa has several beautiful carvings of gods and saints from heaven to attend the wedding ceremony. The mandapa has 38 pillars carved out of granite stone. The roofless mandapa showcases the finest artwork that's very rare and different from others in the south of India.

The third one on our list is one of the top attractions in Lepakshi and a popular landmark for tourism in and around the area. Lepakshi Nandi is about half a km from Lepakshi Bus Stand and was constructed built during the reign of the Vijayanagara Empire around the time when Veerabhadra Temple was built. It is basically an idol of Nandi (the bull) which is the second-largest monolithic structure in India after Gomateshwara in Shravanabelagola. It is carved out of a single granite which 30 feet in length and 20 feet height. It is decorated with Muvvalahara, a necklace kind of a bell chain with small horns.

One of the most reputed Jain heritage centers lies 14 km from Lepakshi in the Hindupur city. This city is famous for many attractive spots and visitors who visit Lepkashi prefer spending a couple a good day of sightseeing in the area. Hindupur is also famous for cheap silk sarees. These silk sarees look very similar to the famous Kancheevaram sarees. Don't forget to shop for these materials and fill your bags. But the place that we are talking about is the Hindupur Jain temple. It houses the idol of Lord Parshwanath which is in the posture of Koyatsarga and is about 14 feet high. It looks very attractive and many tourists enjoy spending a peaceful time with families and friends.

The next on our list is the famous Balaji Film Talkies which is in Hindupur. It is yet another ideal spot for spending a great time with your loved one. Balaji Film Talkies not only serves as the place for sightseeing, but it also lets you take a pleasure-seeking moment for yourself. What's in it for you? Well, innovative layouts, extraordinary architecture, and well-thought execution make this spot one of the most visited spots in and around Lepakshi. It is suggested to carry a good quality camera to capture some stunning pics with things that have been shot in the films. Besides, you can explore fab designs, interesting themes, colorful landscapes, props, merchandise and a lot more from the nearby shops. So come here and enjoy a fun-filled time worth remembering.

The next on our list is a popular adventurous spot located about 70 km from Lepakshi. This place is actually in Karnataka, but an hour and a half's drive from Lepakshi will take you to this beautiful place. Skandagiri is about 62 km from Bengaluru and is also famous by the name Kalavara Durga. This one is indeed a trekking paradise which is quite popular for night trekking amongst tourists. The trek usually starts at around 2 am. Now you must be wondering why at 2 am? Who does that? Well, the answer is the adorable sunrise. Yes, people do this so that they can reach to the hilltop to witness a mesmerizing sunrise. "Walking above the cloud" is what people have started calling this place due to the spectacular view above Skandagiri hill at dawn. The best time to get here is between November to February.