'27-foot Nandi and a temple that shakes': Lepakshi’s secrets defy modern science

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Floating Stone

The Hanging Pillar defies gravity with a visible gap beneath it. Visitors slide paper under the pillar, confirming it doesn't rest on the ground—a marvel still unexplained by science.

Precision Puzzle

Despite decades of study, engineers remain stumped by the temple’s suspended pillar. Experts at the ASI call it a masterclass in ancient design, not a construction flaw.

Colonial Panic

Legend says a British engineer tried moving the hanging pillar—but when the temple shook, he fled. The mystery only deepened, leaving no answers, only awe.

Wet Footprint

A giant footprint, said to be Sita’s, stays mysteriously wet. Water seeps from an unseen source, returning even after it's wiped dry—an enigma no one has cracked.

Bleeding Wall

A red eye-shaped stain on a temple wall is said to mark where an accountant’s eye was gouged out. Locals believe the haunting tale still lingers in that eerie corner.

Divine Descent

The name “Lepakshi” is believed to come from Rama’s words to the fallen Jatayu: “Le Pakshi” (rise, bird), linking the temple to epic mythology and sacrifice.

Abandoned Vows

The Kalyana Mandapa, a wedding hall inside the temple, was left mysteriously incomplete. Was it halted by a curse, politics, or something darker? No one knows.

Serpent Spirit

The Nagalinga sculpture, entwined with a serpent, radiates mysticism. Its perfect symmetry and spiritual power remain a major draw for pilgrims and seekers.

Stone Giant

The massive Nandi statue near the temple is carved from a single stone and weighs tons. How ancient artisans moved and positioned it still boggles modern minds.