If your feeling lazy on a Saturday or a Sunday, and suddenly get the urge to go on a Drive, Lepakshi fits the bill perfectly. Before I give the route details and all, a brief read up on Lepakshi would help boost your enthusiasm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepakshi Even if you start at 10:00 AM in the morning, you can visit lepakshi, and be back home by 6:00 in the evening. It is not stressful and is a ideal getaway for a 1 day trip. The route to Lepakshi is one of the easiest, once you hit Mekhri Circle, drive towards Devanahalli Airport, and continue until you reach Bagepalli, from there on continue, until clearly marked signs lead you to an exit on to country side roads. Drive another 15 KM’s until you reach Lepakshi. Roads are excellent, the stretch until the Doddabalpur exit is laden with traffic, beyond that you can comfortably cruise all the way till Lepakshi. There are 2 toll booths on the Route. In case you want to avoid Toll, you can drive through Dobbabalapur –> Gauribidanur –> Hindupur –> Lepakshi. Below are some pics from the drive and the Lepakshi temple. Note to hobbyist photographers, this place is absolutely beautiful, and you would love every minute of your visit. I took several photos, but in the interest of keeping things short, putting up only a few photos, also added a short video at the end. As usual feedback most welcome 🙂
Towards the Devanahalli Airport
Road to Lepakshi after you exit from the Highway.
Entrance to the Nandi Statue. This is the first place you visit, before going to the actual temple.
A Brief write up of the Nandi Statue
The stone statue of Nandi
Temple Entrance
Temple Entrance
Temple main hall ceiling
Around the temple
Around the temple
Around the temple.Love this photo. There’s lady enjoying herself clad in a Burqa. Love our Country 🙂
I took some videos as well, sharing them, wish I could have captured more.
India - Nature, Travel And Birding 
Nice clicks 🙂
Thank U 🙂
Good coverage, if one moves a little further, one can visit Madaksira Fort and Pavgada fort.
Thanks, yes I am aware of these places. Will try to cover them in another drive 🙂
can u give details of this??
Lohit, just when we were deciding where to head-off for a day’s trip on this Saturday (13th), this post landed on my (rss) reader. Huge thanks to you, we (3 guys) instantly decided to head for this place, as we had never ventured towards Andhra. Returned around an hour back and man true to your words it indeed was great experience. Thank you Thank You Thank You.
This was our itenary: Left at around 8AM from B’lore, had breakfast at Kamat and reached Bagepalli. After taking left on Bagepalli, around 1km or so later we saw a huge statue of Painted Stork and since my friend is a huge bird crazy guy we decided to head to this place (Veerapuram, about 10KM deviation, half the road is pretty bad and other half is okie dokie). To our dismal bad luck we dint see a single bird and only saw their nests. We were told on our way by villagers that the birds are indeed there but the people from Veerapuram informed us that they left around a week or so back. Disappointment for my bird loving friend and since he was the one driving, he took the vent by driving us back mercilessly on the bad roads towards the main road to Lepakshi :)). Reached Lepakshi (around 11AM) and had a blast. Though a small place we enjoyed it a lot. We left early as we decided to head to Nandhi Hills before heading to our places, it was a sudden decision. Stopped over at Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple (another splendid place) before heading to Nandhi Hills and were back by 8PM to our homes.
Huge thanks to you, we had a great day today (except for my bird loving friend not being able to see his birds).
BTW my bird loving friend took an oath to return back to this place during their arrival season. Thanks to another comment above we might cover Veerapuram + two forts.
Thanks Santosh. Glad this post was of some help to you 🙂
One more thing there’s a lesser know fort Devanahalli Fort, i plan to cover all the 3 forts on my next drive 🙂
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devanahalli_Fort
Interesting… hopefully 3 Forts + Veerapuram it is 🙂
Thanks again and hope to read the write-up of your visit to these places soon 😉
Thanks bro. I got many Information by looking into this. Me with my friends just 2 days back visited Lepakshi, Yes it is a Wonderfull place fr 14 day trip Students can try 1ce.. Good place for those who r intrested in Photography I captured lot of photos wit my Canon D3300. Thanks again 🙂
Sorry I wrote 14day Instead of day.
Is there any fees that needs to paid to take photographs in and around the temple?
Can you please tell us if we need to take any permissions and pay fees before conducting any photography workshops at Lepakshi?
Thanks in advance:)
Hey guys Planning to go tomorrow the 23rd July 15, happened to reach all the reviews…for sure looks interesting…let me post in case I make it….also any good place for Lunch there?
Thank you frnds for posting about these places.. Last weekend I took my family to lepakshi and Nandi hills.. we started around 7 am in the morning from Bangalore. we took our own vehicle. road was very good. it was exact 124 kms to lepakshi. we first found Nandi in lepakshi. I was little scared thinking its the only place in lepakshi:P when enquired people they guided that temple is little further and I was escaped from scoldings:P very beautiful temple. around 3pm we reached Nandi hills. spent time and started to Bangalore around 6 30 pm.
This post was very helpful to plan a day trip around Bangalore. family also enjoyed a lot.
Keep updating us:)
Hi,
Want to know if its fine for a bike ride?? Especially if single person would be riding?? (As I wouldn’t allow the pillion rider to be on rider’s seat :P)
not advisable;
A little further of 48 KM towards Penukonda, one can enjoy Penukonda Fort and Kumbhakarna Statue of 132 ft. Awesome it is
For safety purpose it’s better to have pillion rider if you travel by a bike. For more better safety it would be advisable to take someone else driving a different bike along. This is just in case of any emergency…remember that it is highway and there are lot of muggers down near chickballapur-bagepalli stretch.
friends,
anybody been to mekedatu during sankranthi? I have plans to take my family for sankranthi festival. we have plans to cook food from home and have lunch there. just wanted to know if that place is too crowded during this festival..
Great Blog.
Also, do Visit the below link for the most recent review and pictured of the archelogical marvel -Lepakshi (Mar 2016)
http://themilesandthesmiles.blogspot.in/2016/03/a-day-trip-from-bangalore-to-lepakshi.html
Good info..Thanks