The Pillar That Doesn't Touch the Floor Is Two Hours North of Bangalore

By Nitin Kanish · 9 October 2026

Somewhere in the main hall of the Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi, a carved stone pillar does not quite sit on the floor. Visitors slide a thin cloth under its base and pull it out the other side, and everyone laughs at the same moment. It is a small trick of an old building, but it is also a good reason to leave Bangalore early on a weekday. With a self-drive car rental in Bangalore, Lepakshi is an easy, highway-heavy day: north on NH44, a short country road into Andhra Pradesh, a few slow hours among sixteenth-century stone, and home before the evening jam.

This guide is for travellers who have already done the sunrise at Nandi Hills and want something with more history and less hairpin. It is also for Bangalore hosts, because this is exactly the kind of trip that turns a parked car into steady bookings.

Why Lepakshi suits a mid-October day

October sits between the rains and the real heat on the Deccan plateau. The fields along the highway are still green, and the sky is often broken with cloud, which helps when most of your day is spent on open stone courtyards. It is also the month when Bangalore's weekend traffic heads south-west towards Mysuru for Dasara. Lepakshi is in the other direction. If you can take a weekday, you will mostly share the temple with a few school groups and pilgrims.

The temple is dedicated to Veerabhadra, a fierce form of Shiva. Wikipedia describes it as one of the finest surviving examples of Vijayanagara-period temple architecture, built in the sixteenth century, with one of the largest surviving sets of Vijayanagara mural paintings. The same page notes that the complex is on UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. You do not need to know any of this to enjoy the day, but it helps to slow down and look up.

The drive: NH44 does most of the work

Getting out of the city

The hardest part of the trip is often the first 20 km. Leave by 6:00 or 6:30 AM and the run up Bellary Road and past Hebbal is far calmer. After the airport turn the highway opens up into a wide divided road, and the drive becomes simple: stay on NH44 heading for Hyderabad, keep to the speed limits, and use the tolls with a working FASTag.

Into Andhra Pradesh and the turn-off

A little past the Karnataka–Andhra Pradesh border, near the Kodikonda checkpoint, a branch road leads east to Lepakshi. Wikipedia's temple article puts this branch road at about 12 km; some guides say closer to 16 km depending on which turn your map picks. It is a two-lane rural road through farms and small villages, so drop your speed, watch for cattle and two-wheelers, and expect speed breakers without much warning.

Timing that usually works

• Leave central Bangalore by 6:30 AM. OSRM estimates about 1 hour 45 minutes from MG Road with no stops; with breakfast on the highway, plan on two and a half hours.
• Give the temple and Nandi two to three hours. That is enough for the main hall, the murals, the mantapa and a slow walk to the Nandi.
• Start back by 1:30–2:00 PM. You avoid the worst of the afternoon heat on the stone floors and reach the city before the evening crowd on the airport stretch.

At the temple: what to look for

The hanging pillar

In the main hall, among dozens of carved pillars, one stands with a visible gap under part of its base. Wikipedia explains it plainly: the pillar is slightly dislodged and touches the ground only on one side, which is why cloth and paper can be passed under it. Incredible India adds the popular story of a British engineer who tried to find out how the pillar stood and shifted it a little. Whatever the story, please be gentle. This is a protected monument, not a party trick, and the guides who show visitors the gap do it with care.

The ceiling murals

Look up as often as you look around. The ceilings of the halls hold large Vijayanagara paintings with scenes from the epics and Puranas. Some panels are faded and some have been restored; all of them repay a few quiet minutes. Midday light inside the halls is low, so do not expect perfect photographs. Let your eyes adjust and simply enjoy the scale.

The Kalyana Mantapa

Outside the main shrine, the unfinished wedding hall is a forest of carved granite pillars with no roof. On a bright day the shadows move across the carvings like a sundial. It is the most open, airy part of the complex and the best place to sit for a while.

The Nandi, a short walk away

About 200 metres from the temple, according to Wikipedia, a huge Nandi bull carved from a single block of stone sits in a small garden, facing the temple. Incredible India calls it the largest monolithic Nandi in India. Measurements quoted by different sources vary, so we will not add another number. Stand beside it and you will understand why people drive two hours to see it. There is usually room to park near the Nandi garden as well, which makes it an easy last stop before the return.

Visiting manners

• The temple is an active place of worship. Dress modestly and remove footwear where asked.
• Recent travel guides report no entry fee for the temple or the Nandi. Treat that as a guide only and follow on-site notices.
• Stone floors heat up fast by noon. Socks help if you arrive late.
• Carry water and a small snack. Lepakshi village has tea stalls, but options are simple.

Self-drive car rental in Bangalore: what to arrange first

Hire N Ride is an Airbnb-style vehicle rental marketplace. Local hosts list their cars on professional profiles, guests leave reviews, and more good reviews usually bring more bookings. Behind the scenes, Hire N Ride helps hosts run the business side of things: vehicle surveys, GPS management, and reminders for insurance renewal, PUC certificates, RC papers, permit expiry and servicing.

On the Bangalore car rental page you can browse host cars for city errands and longer getaways. The page itself mentions Lepakshi as a drive that crosses into Andhra Pradesh. Its FAQ asks for a valid Indian driving licence, a government ID such as Aadhaar or a passport, and address proof. It also says outstation trips are welcome if you mention your travel plans at booking, especially when crossing state borders, so the host can help with any permits. For Lepakshi, tell your host you are going into Andhra Pradesh when you book.

Check three things before you confirm:

• Daily kilometre limit. The round trip is a little over 220 km from central Bangalore. If your listing includes 200 km per day, ask about the extra-kilometre rate or start from the airport side of the city.
• Fuel policy. Fill up in the city or on NH44 before the turn-off; do not count on finding fuel in the village.
• FASTag and papers. Make sure the car's FASTag is active and that you have the RC and insurance copy, either in the glovebox or digitally.

How this fits with other Bangalore drives

We have already written about Nandi Hills before the crowd, which is a sunrise trip on the same highway, and about Savandurga west of Magadi, which is a granite-and-forest day. Lepakshi is the history day: flatter roads, more time on foot, and a lot more to look at once you arrive. You can even pair it with Nandi Hills on two different mornings of a long weekend and use the same host car.

A car makes more sense than a bike here. Most of the distance is fast highway, the afternoon sun on the plateau can be strong, and you will want somewhere cool to sit with water after a few hours on the stone.

Practical checklist

• Book a host car the evening before and mention the Andhra Pradesh border crossing.
• Confirm the kilometre limit, fuel policy and FASTag.
• Carry your original driving licence, ID and booking confirmation.
• Leave by 6:30 AM; plan breakfast on NH44.
• Follow signs for Lepakshi near the Kodikonda checkpoint and slow down on the village road.
• Give the temple, murals, mantapa and Nandi two to three hours.
• Head back by early afternoon and return the car clean and on time.

For Bangalore car owners thinking about hosting

Day trips like Lepakshi are the bread and butter of a good host profile. A guest who drives 220 km on a weekday, returns on time and leaves a kind review is worth more than a dozen vague enquiries. If you own a well-kept hatchback, sedan or compact SUV in Bangalore, you can list it on the List Your Vehicle page. Keep clear photos, an honest kilometre policy and quick replies. Let Hire N Ride handle the reminders for insurance, PUC, RC and servicing, plus GPS and vehicle surveys, so your car stays ready for the next booking. Many guests compare a few options, including Zoomcar, before they book. A reviewed local host with clear papers is how you win those comparisons.

Conclusion

Lepakshi rewards an early start and a slow pace. A self-drive car rental in Bangalore gets you up NH44 and onto the quiet branch road in about two hours. Then the day belongs to stone: a pillar that doesn't quite touch the floor, ceilings full of old paintings, an unfinished hall open to the sky, and a giant Nandi waiting in its garden. Book a reviewed host car, tell them you are crossing into Andhra Pradesh, and be back in the city before the evening rush.

Ready to drive? Browse cars on Hire N Ride Bangalore. Own a car that sits idle on weekdays? Become a host.

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Nitin Kanish writes Hire N Ride road guides for South India and the hills of the north. He likes highway mornings, honest kilometre limits and day trips that end before dark.

Header photo: pillared corridor of the Veerabhadra temple, Lepakshi, February 2017, by Surobinda, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Commons file.