The hanging stone pillar inside the Virabhadra temple in Lepakshi attracts people from various parts of the country to the remote village in the Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh, but many most often miss the fading frescoes on the walls and ceilings of this Vijayanagara-era temple. Considered one of the few existing murals of the Vijayanagara period, the ceiling of the temple has panels depicting the scenes from Mahabharata, Ramayana and other Puranas. The tragedy is that many panels have been ruined due to lack of care and maintenance. The remaining ones are getting deteriorated and if immediate care is not taken, they will disappear soon. Archaeologists and heritage enthusiasts have been demanding the restoration of these 16th century artwork for long, but the Archaeological Survey of India, which maintains the temple, is yet to take a decision on it.