Lepakshi Veerabhadra Temple

The Veerabhadra Temple at Lepakshi is a 16th-century architectural marvel built during the Vijayanagara Empire by governors Virupanna and Veeranna. The temple is world-famous for its Hanging Pillar that does not fully rest on the ground — a British engineer who tried to move it could only tilt it slightly. The temple also features a massive monolithic Nandi statue (15 feet long and 10 feet high, one of the largest in India), exquisite ceiling paintings, and over 70 intricately carved pillars depicting stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.