Aswathy Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, member of the Travancore royal family, visited Sri Veerabhadra Temple at Lepakshi in Sri Sathya Sai district on Saturday (February 9).
Gorantla-based historian MyNaa Swamy, who accompanied her during her visit, said she expressed her happiness and wonder at seeing the colossal mural of Veerabhadra, measuring 25 ft. in length and 18 ft. in width; the delicate frescoes of Shiva and Parvati’s celestial wedding, the cosmic annihilation of Tripurasura and the divine image of Vatapatra Sai (infant Krishna on a banyan leaf); the sculpture of Bhikshatana Murti, the ascetic form of Shiva; the hanging pillar; and the monolithic Nandi at the temple’s entrance. Ms. Gowri Lakshmi Bayi profusely praised the genius of Vijayanagara sculptors, said Mr. MyNaa Swamy.
At the Penukonda Fort, once the second capital of the Vijayanagara Empire (1565–1647 CE), Ms. Gowri Lakshmi Bayi visited the Mukteeswara, Kasi Visweswara and Ramabhadra temples.
The historian also presented her with a copy of his book Architecture and Art of Vijayanagara—Lepakshi. “My journey through the echoes of Vijayanagara’s splendour is not just a visit; it is a pilgrimage into the soul of India’s artistic and spiritual heritage,” she was quoted as saying by Mr. MyNaa Swamy.
Ms. Gowri Lakshmi Bayi (80) is the hereditary trustee of Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the niece of the last king of Travancore Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.
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