Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the instagram-feed domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/gyawqifg/domains/melangeoftales.com/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131
Andhra Pradesh – Melange of Tales

Melange of Tales

Category: Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is one of the Southern States of India.

Lepakshi: The Perfect Kid-Friendly Day Trip Near Bangalore
Planning for a weekend getaway from Bangalore with kids but dreading the long drives, steep climbs or endless crowds? Lepakshi is your answer. This hidden gem in Andhra Pradesh is just 120 km (2-3 hours drive) from Bangalore. Lepakshi is an ancient Vijayanagara village which offers low-key adventure packed with history. The wide open spaces at Lepakshi temple are ideal for your little explorers to be themselves.
Why choose Lepakshi for Family Trips from Bangalore?
Bangalore being one of the most populated cities in India, finding tourist places with less crowd is a task for Bengalurians especially for parents with babies and toddlers. Lepakshi gives you the right stress free and crowd free environment but also sparks your child’s imagination with the historical stories from Ramayana and the Vijayanagar empire.
Key perks for busy families:
1. Short drive: 120 km drive either via Hoskote or Budigere behind the airport or via Hebbal and Devanahalli crossing the airport
2. Budget-friendly: No entry fee (as it is a place of worship), Rs.2500-3000 total for fuel, parking, snacks, and misc
Different routes to Lepakshi
Short History of Lepakshi
The word Lepakshi is split as ‘Le’ (‘rise’) + ‘Pakshi’ (‘bird’). In Treta Yug when Ramayana happened, it is said that this is the spot where the eagle (jatayu) who fought with Ravan to rescue Maa Sita had fallen down injured and was asked to rise by Lord Rama.
The Veerabhadra temple was built in the 16^th century by Virupanna Nayaka and Viranna during the reign of King Achyutha Deva Raya. When the king died, his son-in-law took control of this region. The new king was told by the enemies of Virupanna that he is wasting money, so the king ordered Virupanna’s eyes to be plucked. When Virupanna learnt about this, he himself offered his eyes to the deity of the temple (Veerabhadra Swamy – Lord Shiva). You can see this in the temple as well. The temple’s further construction was stopped after this incident and that’s why you will find the Shiva Parvati kalyana mantapa incomplete.
Virupanna’s eyes with the red stain on the wall
Top 5 Kid-Magnet Attractions at Lepakshi
Veerabhadra Temple’s Hanging Pillar
There is one pillar in the temple which is hanging and historically it is said that it holds the weight of the entire temple structure. You can put a cloth beneath the pillar to show your kids that the pillar is hanging.
Monolithic Nandi Statue
The bull at Lepakshi is 27 ft tall and 15 ft long carved from a single rock outside the temple premises. It is the biggest bull followed by the ones in Bangalore, Mysore and Thanjavur.
Nandi always faces Shiva so where is the Shiva idol?
In the Veerabhadra Swamy temple apart from the main deity, another Shiva idol is over a Naga (Nagalinga) which is within the temple premises. There is a wall between the Shiva idol and the Nandi.
Shiva Parvati’s Wedding in Kailasha
The incomplete marriage hall in the temple depicts Shiva Parvati’s wedding in Kailasha showing who the guests were. There is a carving of Shiva and Parvati in the hall where Shiva holds 4 fingers of Parvati depicting that he is marrying her in the witness of 4 vedas, 4 yugas and 4 directions. All this will trigger the curiosity in the young minds of how our culture is intertwined with life.
Vibrant Temple Murals and Carvings
This ancient temple has wonderful paintings in the ceiling depicting stories from Ramayana. There are multiple pillars with intricate design patterns which are used in Indian clothes.
Sita’s Footprint from Treta Yuga
You will find Maa Sita’s 10 feet long footprint from Treta Yuga. It served as a waterpoint for Jatayu which fell there.
Essential Tips for Stress-Free Family Travel to Lepakshi
1. Safety first: If you are travelling with babies/toddlers you should hold their hands near the rocks in the temple
2. Hydrate yourself: Carry enough water with you when travelling with kids. You can also fetch water in the temple if required
3. Eco Habits: No plastics and teach your kids not to throw trash anywhere in the temple or on the road
4. Pack food: There are restaurants on the way to the temple but not in the temple premises so better carry food to keep yourself and your kids away from feeling hungry
5. Pack A-Z: If you are travelling with babies/toddlers you will want to make sure to pack spare clothes, diapers, eco-friendly tissues, toys, water and food.
Lepakshi FAQs
1. Is Lepakshi doable for kids under 5?
Absolutely yes! I travelled with my 9-month-old when I first visited Lepakshi. I happily let her crawl within the temple premises. There are no steep climbs or long queues, unlike busier spots like Hampi.
2. Is there space for parking?
Yes, they charge you around Rs.50 for car parking.
3. Can we do Lepakshi in half a day?
Certainly! It is perfect for a half day trip with kids.
4. Best time to visit Lepakshi?
Oct-Mar is ideally the best time, but I visited the temple in April and June as well with my kid and didn’t face any problem. Anytime during the morning should be perfect.
5. How far is Lepakshi from Bangalore?
Lepakshi is about 120 km and takes 2-3 hours based on from where you are starting in Bangalore.
6. Can we combine Lepakshi trip with something else?
I did Lepakshi and Adi Yogi twice together. You can also combine your Lepakshi trip with Nandi hills or Bhoga Nandishwara.
Also read: Must Read Adiyogi Chikkaballapur Visitor Guide
Ready to create family memories? Lepakshi is a perfect family friendly weekend getaway from Bangalore.
Subscribe to view more such content on kid-friendly travel.
Read also: My other blog posts from Karnataka
December 30, 2025
Belum Caves – Guide to India’s Second Longest Caves
A trip to Gandikota doesn’t end without visiting India’s second longest caves called Belum Caves. We spent our Saturday evening in Gandikota and started around 9 am from there the next day, to visit the Belum Caves. It is around 310 kms from both Bangalore and Hyderabad. The cave opens for general public around 10.30 am and it’s usually crowded during the weekends. Belum caves is an interesting place for anyone interested in archeology and history.
Petrichor accompanied me once I entered the caves
Entry fee: Rs.50/-
Belum Caves map
Instructions before entering the Caves
Fascinating facts of the Caves
The caves were first noticed in 1880s when it was British India and around 100 years after that a group of German Archeologists headed by Herbert Daniel Gebauer explored the caves, which went on for about 2 years. The cave had remnants of 4500BC, and it was a river cave system formed over thousands of years by the constant flow of underground water from the now-disappeared river called Chitravati. It was also found that the caves were occupied by Buddhist and Jain monks around 1000 years ago. Few artifacts found in the caves during the cave exploration are now kept at the museum in Ananthapur.
Belum Caves entrance
The top view once entered inside the caves
A good place for meditation when there isn’t crowd
The cave reaches its deepest point at a place called Paatalaganga(literally translating to underground ganga) which is a perennial stream that disappears into the depths of Earth.
The Unique Experience at the Caves
It started with us climbing down the stairs to enter the caves. I was able to sense the smell of petrichor once we entered the caves. There were several pathways with interesting patterns of water streams on limestone which will leave you captivated. The then flowing water had carved the caves beautifully. The river cave system fascinated me so much that I felt the need of being able to time travel to see how the structure was formed.
How beautifully has the then flowing water carved these caves!
Maintenance of the Belum caves
The caves are well maintained by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC). The caves can easily get hot and humid, so there are vents even at the lowest of points in the caves. There are also colorful lights inside the caves which might make you wonder if you are on film sets.
Colorful lights
Vents inside the caves
Carrying water bottles becomes a must when you are caving. If you carry any kind of food, you will be asked to keep it outside before entering the caves.
The cave length is supposed to be around 3kms, but general public can visit only till 1.5 kms of it. There is also a Buddha statue that you can visit within the Belum caves premises.
Before entering one of the pathways
Now, tell me how exciting can visiting Belum Caves be? 🙂
Also read: Gandikota – Guide to the Grand Canyon of India
January 10, 2020
Gandikota – Guide to the Grand Canyon of India
In the excitement of visiting the Grand Canyon of India we woke up at 5 am on a Saturday morning and started our 290 kms drive from Bangalore to Gandikota. I wouldn’t say that it was an interesting drive, it was rather dry and there weren’t many places on the way to our destination to stop by and relax. We reached Gandikota around 11 am.
What is at Gandikota?
Gandikota is a small village in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh known for its fantabulous gorge (‘gandi‘ in Telugu) formed by the Erramala range of hills and the green and gorgeous Penne river flowing at its foot.
Penne River Valley’s front view
Penne River Valley’s back view
How was the Gandikota fort and what is in there to see?
The ‘fort’ (‘kota‘ in Telugu) at Gandikota was calm and I saw people going and coming out of it carrying water on bikes, not inquisitive about the strangers viewing the fort with awe and clicking crazy pictures. There were boards like below which showed what is there to see at the fort but there weren’t any information boards telling us the history of the fort.
Information board for the places within the fort premises
Map on Gandikota Fort and Buildings
The entrance of the Gandikota fort
Next to the space where tents are places if we walk for a km, we will be able to find a small waterfall. We must follow the white line next to the AC tent area to get to the destination.
The small waterfalls near the gorge
A closer look of the waterfalls in Gandikota
When I visited Gandikota I was told that boating is stopped but you can try asking the hotels there if they have reopened the services.
Short History from Wikipedia
Gandikota area was first identified and made Sand fort in 1123 A.D by Kaka Raja of nearby Bommanapalle village and a subordinate of Ahavamalla Someswara I, Kalyani Chalukya ruler. Later it came under the rule of Kakatiya dynasty from 1239 A.D to 1304 A.D and ruled by their various subordinates. It was then captured by the Tughlaq dynasty and was under their rule till 1343 A.D. Gandikota became the capital of Pemmasani Nayakas who ruled the fort and Gandikota region for more than 300 years. In 1652 A.D Pemmasani Timma Nayaka lost Gandikota battle with the attack of Mir Jumla, military general of Qutab shahi dynasty. Gandikota then came under the power of Golconda sultanate and Timma Nayaka became their feudatory king. After the short ruling of Abdul Nawab Khan, ruler of Kadapa it became the part of British India.[wiki]
Juma Mosque
Inside the mosque
Madhavaraya Temple Gopuram
Inside Madhavaraya Temple
Food and Stay at Gandikota
There are several shops near the entrance of the fort that offer food, 3 people tents for rent and restroom facilities. All these 3 come together as if you have bought it as a package. I had gone in a caravan, so we had tents with us in the caravan, so restrooms became an issue for us on the next day morning because we didn’t rent tents in any shop to use their restroom.
We had our food here and used their washrooms.
If you take your own tents, then you might have to pay for using the restrooms built in Gandikota and I can’t guarantee that it will be super clean. You will also be noticing that every tent provider will serve dinner near their tent area, facing the gorge.
Tent cost: 3 person tents ranging Rs.800 – Rs.1000 (with dinner)
Tents in Gandikota facing the gorge
Food in the night was served in the table near the tents in that area
There were also AC tents in a gated space next to where the rest of the tents were.
Private AC tents cost: Rs.2,200
Read also: Belum Caves
The next day morning we refreshed at Paradise Hotel near the fort entrance and had breakfast. Following that we set our drive to the Belum Caves. You can’t resist to stop and click pictures in the sunflower fields that you will be finding on the way to the Belum caves from Gandikota.
Sunflower fields on the way to Belum caves from Gandikota
If you feel like going on a drive from Bangalore and see something magnificent then why not Gandikota? The best time for it would be Nov – Jan.
Engulfed in the beauty of the gorge
Experiencing the majestic gorge and soaking into the thoughts of a fascinating river cave system brings more fun.
Also read: Belum Caves
January 1, 2020