Lepakshi temple among India's nominations for UNESCO's world heritage tag

The famous Veerabhadra Swamy temple at Lepakshi, about 100 kms north of Bengaluru, along with the iconic Nandi statue is added to UNESCO's tentative list of world heritage sites in India for 2022.

The inclusion on the list is a step closer to the monument of cultural, historical and architectural significance being declared a part of world heritage.

A world heritage status for the temple complex has been a long-pending demand which was renewed last year when the Ramappa temple in neighbouring Telangana was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Also Read | Konkan geoglyphs make it to UNESCO tentative list

The Lepakshi temple, considered a sculptural marvel, is located in Anantapuram district of Andhra Pradesh. It was built in the 16th century during the great Vijayanagara rule. It reflects the Vijayanagara style of architecture, with ornate sculptures and frescoes.

The Lepakshi Nandi, locally popular as Lepakshi Basavanna, is a monolithic bull in sitting posture lying about 250 meters from the temple. The Nandi, about six meters in height, is carved out of a single granite stone.

A major attraction within the temple is the massive carving of a seven-headed serpent shielding a Shivalinga. Another allure is a “hanging pillar.”

The Geoglyphs of the Konkan region and Jingkieng jri: the living root bridges of Meghalaya are the other two sites added to India's tentative list, UNESCO officials informed in a communication last week to the Indian representative in the world heritage body.

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