Bengaluru to Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh & Chikkaballapur, Karnataka
Lepakshi is a small village just across the Andhra border that holds one of the finest pieces of Vijayanagara art anywhere: a temple of carved pillars, painted ceilings and a pillar that does not quite touch the ground, watched over by a giant stone Nandi.
We spend the morning there, when the stone is still cool, then drive back towards Bengaluru to the Adiyogi statue near Chikkaballapur. The afternoon is unhurried: sunset on the lawns, then the evening light show on the statue before the short drive home.
Day by day
Drop-off: Bengaluru (same pickup points, dropped back after the trip)
Day 1
Up NH-44 to Lepakshi for its monolithic Nandi, painted ceilings and hanging pillar, then back south to Chikkaballapur to watch the sun set behind the 112-ft Adiyogi and stay for the evening light show.
Pickups begin at RMZ Ecospace. First pickup at RMZ Ecospace, Bellandur, then Hebbal (near the flyover), Yelahanka on NH-44 and Devanahalli near the airport. Wear clothes suited to a working temple and footwear that slips off easily.
Breakfast on the highway. Pay-as-you-go idli, vada and filter coffee at a stop beyond Chikkaballapur. Eat well; options around Lepakshi are limited.On your own
The monolithic Nandi. A reclining bull roughly 4.5 m high and 8 m long, carved from a single granite boulder, its collar of bells crisp after five centuries. It faces the temple's serpent lingam.
Veerabhadra temple, Lepakshi. Built in the 1530s under the Vijayanagara kings, on a tortoise-shaped rock. See the seven-hooded Naga lingam, the unfinished wedding hall and ceiling frescoes, among the largest in India.
The hanging pillar. One of the dance hall's carved pillars barely touches the floor; visitors slide a cloth beneath it. Your trip captain will point out Sita's footprint and the legend behind the red stains.
Jataayu Theme Park. A short stop at the rocky hillock near the temple where a giant Jataayu sculpture recalls the Ramayana story that gives Lepakshi its name. Any ticket charged is on your own.
Lunch in Lepakshi. Pay-as-you-go. A spicy Andhra meals plate with gongura pickle and rice, at a simple local restaurant.On your own
Drive to Adiyogi, Chikkaballapur. Back across the border and south on NH-44, with the boulder hills of the Nandi range rising ahead. A tea stop on the way.
Adiyogi and the Yogeshwara Linga. Walk up to the 112-ft steel face of Adiyogi at Sadhguru Sannidhi, and sit a while at the Yogeshwara Linga and the Naga shrine. Footwear goes to the stand at the entrance.
Sunset behind Adiyogi. Find a spot on the lawns as the sky colours over the hills and the statue turns to silhouette.
Adiyogi Divya Darshanam light show. Images are projected onto the statue while Sadhguru narrates the story of the first yogi; it runs daily and lasts roughly 15 minutes. Arrive early on weekends for a central view.
Start the drive back. Expect a slow first few kilometres while show traffic clears; the rest is a smooth run down NH-44.
Arrive Bengaluru, trip ends. Drop-offs at Devanahalli, Yelahanka and Hebbal from about 20:15, then RMZ Ecospace around 21:30, depending on city traffic.
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