Lepakshi Temple – Part 13: Inscriptions - A Chronicle of Endowments

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The Lepakshi Veerabhadra temple is not only a monument of architectural and sculptural splendour; it is also a treasure trove of epigraphic records, revealing the religious, economic, and political patronage it enjoyed during the Vijayanagara era, especially under Achyutaraya (r. 1529–1542 CE). The inscriptions found within the temple complex and in its surrounding villages paint a vivid picture of donations made by the royal family, officials, merchants, and local elite.

A number of inscriptions found within the temple, as well as at nearby sites such as Gorrepalli, Cheluvendula, and Choutakuntapalli in the Anantapur district, shed valuable light on the contributions made by the Vijayanagara rulers to this sacred complex. In addition to royal patronage from the king and Virupanna, several merchant guilds, mahajanas of agraharas, royal officials, and private individuals often acting at the behest of Virupanna and his brother Viranna made generous endowments. These included grants of entire villages or parts thereof, lands, and toll revenues, intended to support the temple’s upkeep, enable daily worship services, and fund a variety of rituals and festivals.

The earliest known inscription at Lepakshi, dated to Saka 1415 (1493 CE) during the reign of Saluva Immadi Narasimha (1490–1506 CE), is found on a natural granite rock adjacent to the Rangamandapa. It records a donation made to Papanasheshvara Devara, with no reference to other shrines, suggesting that the Papanasheshvara shrine may have been the earliest sanctum within the complex. A later inscription from the reign of Achyutaraya, dated 1531 CE, mentions offerings to all three deities of the temple, indicating the subsequent expansion of the sacred complex. Hence, the temple was there even in the 15th century, but it was expanded and rebuilt in the grand manner with many shrines and mandapas in the 16th century.

Below is a chronological list of the inscriptions found in the Veerabhadra temple of Lepakshi and a few copper plates about Lepakshi.



Inscription #1

Reference: A.R. No. 579 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 535)
Location: Rocky floor, second prakara
Period: 1531 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Sanskrit and Telugu

At the request of Virupanna (son of Nandi-Lakkisetti), the king gifted the village Chelavindla (modern Chalivendula), surnamed Achyutendrapura, for the worship of Virabhadra, Raghunatha, and Papavinasa at Lepakshi.

Inscription #2

Reference: A.R. No. 578 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 537)
Location: Foot of east wall, second prakara
Period: 1531 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records a royal order stating that the village Cheluvindla was renamed Komara-Venkatadriyapura and gifted to god Papavinasana. Another village, Ganapatihalli, was granted to Virupanna of Penugonda.

Inscription #3

Reference: A.R. No. 580 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 559)
Location: North wall, second prakara
Period: Circa 1532–1533 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Sanskrit and Kannada

A partially damaged copy of a copper-plate grant. Mentions the genealogy of the Tuluva kings and various village grants made to god Viresvara (Virabhadra).

Inscription #4

Reference: Copper plate grant
Location: East wall, second prakara
Period: 1533 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

At the request of Virupanna, the king gifted three villages: Hambanahalli (modern Hampasandra), Kancharalahalli (modern Kencherlahalli), and Timmagondanahalli (modern Timmanahalli), all in Chikkaballapur district and surnamed Venkatadrisamudra, for offerings and worship to god Veerabhadra of Lepakshi.

Inscription #5

Reference: N.A.
Location: Fragmentary
Period: 1534 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records the grant of tolls collected by merchants during weekly fairs in Viresvaradevarapura, and tolls raised in Harunadu and Hosurunadu, for offerings in three shrines. The grant was made at the instance of Virana Nayaka, brother of Virupanna.

Inscription #6

Reference: N.A.
Location: East wall of the second prakara
Period: 1535 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records the king’s gift of the village Modaya (modern Moda in Parigi mandal, Anantapur) for the service of god Virabhadra of Lepakshi.

Inscription #7

Reference: A.R. No. 575 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 572)
Location: East wall, second prakara
Period: 1535–36 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records a gift of a village (name lost) for the service of god Virabhadra of Lepakshi.

Inscription #8

Reference: A.R. No. 576 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 580)
Location: East wall, second prakara
Period: 1537 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Achyutaraya Mallapanna purchased the village Nandicherla (Virupaksharayapura) and donated it to Viresa (Virabhadra). The land was earlier granted by Virupakshadeva Maharaya in 1467 CE.

Inscription #9

Reference: A.R. No. 781 of 1917 (SII IX, No. 581)
Location: Boulder west of Chautakuntapalli
Period: 1537 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records a copper plate grant issued by Virupannaya, son of Nandi-Lakkisetti, for the village Kanchakarahalli for services to gods Papavinasa, Viresa, and Ranganatha at Lepakshi.

Inscription #10

Reference: A.R. No. 577 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 582)
Location: East wall, second prakara
Period: 1537 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Penugonda Virupanna purchased lands in Kalanuru (Triyambakanarayanapura) and donated them to Viresvara of Lepakshi for naivedya offerings.

Inscription #11

Reference: N.A
Location: Not specified
Period: 1537 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records a land sale to the three shrines of Papavinasana, Raghunathadeva, and Viresvaradeva by the Mahajanas of Kanchisamudra (modern Kanchisamudramu in Lepakshi mandal). The land was originally gifted to them by Pratapadevamaharaya.


Inscription #12

Reference: N.A
Location: Not specified
Period: 1537 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records a gift to the shrines of Papavinasana, Raghunathadeva, and Viresvaradeva by the Mahajanas of Nagaregera, also known as Krishnaraya Samudra Agrahara, a village in Rodda Nadu, a subdivision of Penugonda Rajya (modern Gouribidanur taluk).


Inscription #13

Reference: N.A
Location: Verandah wall
Period: 1538 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records the gift of the village Chikkanandicheruvu (surnamed Devarayapura) by Penugonda Virupannayya. The village, near Depparu (modern Dibburahalli in Sidlaghatta taluk), was purchased for 400 ghatti varahas from certain Brahmins.

Inscription #14

Reference: A.R. No. 68 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 583)
Location: Southern wall, Lakshmidevi temple, Gorrepalli
Period: 1538 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Virana Nayaka, brother of Virupanna, constructed a canal named Nutana-Tungabhadra and gifted lands irrigated by it for the worship of Mahalakshmi and the gods Viresvara, Papavinasadeva, and Raghavesvara.

Inscription #15

Reference: A.R. No. 88 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 587)
Location: Verandah wall, Veerabhadra temple
Period: 1538 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Penugonda Virupannayya gifted the village Chikkanandicheruvu (Devarayapura), purchased from Brahmins, for daily worship to Virabhadra of Lepakshi.

Inscription #16

Reference: A.R. No. 89 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 588)
Location: Verandah wall, Veerabhadra temple
Period: 1538 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records Virupannayya's purchase of half of Sadasivapura (Devarayapura) for 108 varahas, donated to Virabhadra. The land was originally granted to Devara Somayaji.

Inscription #17

Reference: A.R. No. 90 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 590)
Location: Verandah wall, Veerabhadra temple
Period: 1538 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Virupannayya and Virana jointly purchased vritti lands in Nagaragere (Krishnaraya Samudra) and gifted them to Viresvara for daily food offerings.

Inscription #18

Reference: A.R. No. 794 of 1917 (SII IX, No. 591)
Location: Verandah wall, Veerabhadra temple
Period: 1539 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Chikka Narasappayya, son-in-law of Ananta Ayya, repaired the Budali tank, purchased adjoining land, and donated it for the service of Kesavadeva consecrated by Narasana Nayaka.


Inscription #19

Reference: Copper plate grant No. 18 of 1937–38
Location: N.A.
Period: 1539 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Registers the gift of the village Kotturu (modern Kotnuru in Hindupur mandal), purchased from Brahmins whose ancestors received it from King Devaraya, by Virupanna Mahipati for offerings and worship to Virabhadra of Lepakshi.

Inscription #20

Reference: Copper plate grant No. 19 of 1937–38
Location: N.A.
Period: 1541 CE
King: Achyutaraya
Language: Telugu

Records the grant of the village Sirivara (modern Sirivaram in Lepakshi mandal), along with its hamlets Manchenahalli and Mayinayakkahalli, for the annual car festival and daily worship of Virabhadra, made at the request of Virupanna.

Inscription #21

Reference: A.R. No. 583 of 1912 (SII IX, No. 631)
Location: Nagalabanda rock near Peddacheruvu tank
Period: 1548 CE
King: Sadasivaraya
Language: Telugu

Records a gift made for the merit of Ramaraja-Vithaladeva, and his parents Kondamarasaya and Narasamma. Mentions Hiriya-Linga-Bova. The inscription is partially damaged.


These inscriptions collectively underscore the religious importance of Lepakshi in the 16th century and the extraordinary patronage it received, from emperors like Achyutaraya, royal officials like Virupanna and Virana, and merchant guilds and Brahmanas across the Andhra-Karnataka borderlands. Donations came in the form of entire villages, tolls, canals, and tanks, not just for daily rituals but also for annual festivals and structural maintenance.

Despite being a Shaiva shrine, the temple’s donors often extended their patronage to Vaishnavite deities as well, reflecting a spirit of religious tolerance that defined the Vijayanagara court.

Happy travelling.

This is the part 13 of my series on Lepakshi Temple. Let me conclude the series with this article.

You can read the previous part from the below link:


Part 1 - Lepakshi Temple

Part 2 - Layout of Lepakshi Temple

Part 3 - The Presiding Deity Veerabhadra

Part 4 - The Other Shrines and Deities

Part 5 - The Ceiling Paintings of Veerabhadra's Ardha Mandapa

Part 6 - Murals Beyond the Ardha Mandapa 

Part 7 - Paintings of the Natya Mandapa

Part 8 - Ardha Mandapa

Part 9 - The Sculptures of Natya Mandapa

Part 10 - The Hanging Pillars

Part 11 - The Kalyana Mandapa

Part 12 - The Sculptures of the Outer Prakara

Location: Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh 515331, India

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