Modi To Visit Lepakshi, Historic Site of Ramayana 6 Days Before Ayodhya Inauguration

Anantapur: Just six days before the inauguration of the Lord Sri Rama Temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Lepakshi, the site in epic Ramayana where the ‘divine bird’ Jatayu fell down as it tried to save Goddess Sita from  ‘demon king’ Ravana.

The Prime Minister would inaugurate the NACIN academy at Palasamudram in Gorantla mandal and visit  Lepakshi in Satya Satyasai district on January 16, officials said.

The PM’s visit to Lepakshi gains national attention at a time when complaints are that there has been no initiative from ASI or the state government to submit the final dossier even though UNESCO listed the Lepakshi a year ago in the tentative list for its world heritage status.

Jatayu, a demi-god in the form of a vulture, holds a special place in epic Ramayana. It fought valiantly with Ravana to rescue Sita. In the Aranya Kanda of Valmiki's Ramayana, Jatayu is depicted as a son of Aruna and nephew of Garuda.

The story goes thus: Hearing Sita's cries for help, Jatayu sprang to action and attempted to save her from Ravana. A fierce battle between Jatayu and Ravana followed. Jatayu attacked Ravana with his sharp beak and talons. In turn, the demon king used Chandrahasa, a sword he had got from gods, sliced off Jatayu's wings and escaped with Sita to Lanka.

Jatayu has been presented as the only witness to Ravana's abduction of Sita. A giant footprint, believed to have been left on a stone in the village, is a major attraction to hordes of visitors to Lepakshi even today.

The historic site was developed majorly during the term of the Vijayanagar empire by two brothers -- Virupanna and Veeranna. The two were the governors of the Vijayanagar Kings, five centuries ago.

The temple Modi would be visiting has exclusive sculptures and mural paintings. Among the 70 stone pillars there, one pillar does not rest fully on the ground. Known as the hanging pillar, any thin object can be passed through its base.

It is said that the pillar has been a bit dislodged from its original position, a defect attributed to a British civil engineer, who tried to move it in a failed attempt to uncover the secret behind the architectural feat.

The Lepakshi Veerabhadra Temple is famous for its excellent architecture and engineering marvel.

Carved out of rock, this magnificence in stone speaks volumes about the great Vijayanagara Empire. The ceilings of the Natya and Ardha Mandapa have several murals illustrating scenes from the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas.

The world’s biggest Nandi is an iconic brand for AP. The historic Lepakshi remains neglected for decades except for the introduction of some schemes that helped little in the area’s development.

The site was listed in the tentative list of Unesco in 2022, following the publication of a series of articles in Deccan Chronicle. But, there was laxity on the part of the authorities in submitting the final dossier to Unesco through the Archaeological Survey of India.

“We hope that Lepakshi would benefit from the inauguration of the Lord Rama Temple in Ayodhya and visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days before the event,” said Lepakshi Ramprasad, a historian.

Another historian, Jasti Veeranjineyulu, who has been campaigning for World Heritage Status to Lepakshi, hoped at least “a positive response” from the PM during his visit to Lepakshi.   

On Sunday, the Satyasai district officials along with an NSG team visited Lepakshi and reviewed the security and other arrangements for the PM visit.