The mystery of India’s hanging pillar: Why doesn’t it touch the ground?

One of the most amazing attractions inside the Veerabhadra Temple of Andhra Pradesh is India's hanging pillar at the Lepakshi Temple. The granite pillar seems not to touch the ground by even an inch. It is said that people can put a piece of cloth or even a piece of paper under the bottom of this pillar without disturbing its stability.

India's hanging pillar and the engineering mystery

This temple was constructed approximately in 1530 CE, during the time of the rule of Achyuta Deva Raya, who was the king of the Vijayanagara dynasty. This building is linked to two brothers named Virupanna and Viranna, who were governors of that dynasty. The complex combines granite architecture, elaborate sculpture, painted ceilings and carefully arranged halls.

The primary complex comprises Kalyana Mandapa, Ardha Mandapa, and the shrine of Veerabhadra. The Kalyana Mandapa houses about 70 decorative pillars. But India's hanging pillar that catches special attention is the one which hangs without touching the floor.

India's hanging pillar is referred to as a large granite pillar that rises from close to the floor up to the adorned ceiling. The distance appears to be inconsistent at the base of the structure. People usually use a piece of cloth or paper to test it.

It might be due to the design of the whole building, not just the pillar itself. According to reports, pillars around it, as well as ceiling beams and stones, can transfer the force throughout the building. It is possible that the arrangement works like a cantilever, thus allowing the pillar to be balanced on its own.

An additional explanation relates to compression, whereby the load carried by the pillar can be distributed via compression in the surrounding stones, resulting in an interconnected force system. Some reports also mention the potential presence of micro-spaces and joints detected through laser scanning and 3D-modelling.

In addition to India's hanging pillar, another unique feature of the Lepakshi temple is that it has ceiling paintings illustrating Hindu epic stories and an enormous monolithic statue of Nandi made of granite.

The Kalyana Mandapa paintings include representations of Veerabhadra, music, dance and celestial beings. These paintings were done through fresco secco techniques using natural paints.

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