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There is a popular
legend about the temple which rum as follows:
Virupanna
was the king's treasurer and was the chief of the merchant guild at the time of the famous
Krishandevaraya of Vijayanagar. He conceived the idea of installing a temple here, because
the image of Veerabhadra was found here. He proceeded to put into execution this plan and
fully used the tribute of the king also for this purpose while the king was away at
Vijayanagar. He had practically finished the building and was actually supervising the
completion of the Kalyana mantapa, when the king returned and found his treasury empty.
The king ordered, as a punishment to this heinous crime, that be should be blinded. The
treasurer being a loyal servant carried out on the spot with his own bands this order and,
to this day, two dark stains are shown upon the wall near the Kalyana mantapa, which are
said to be the marks made by his eyes which he himself dashed against the wall. The
builder of the temple did not survive long after this, and hence the Kalyana mantapa was
left unfinished. Hence it is that the village is called Lepa-akshi Lepakshi, i.e., a
village of the blinded eye.
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