In the natya mandapa — the dance hall — of the Veerabhadra Temple stands one of seventy carved granite pillars that does not, in fact, touch the ground. A small gap is visible at its base, and you can slip a thin cloth or a piece of paper underneath and pass it through to the other side. The temple guides will demonstrate this for a small tip, with what is genuinely an impressive party trick.
The accepted explanation is that medieval Vijayanagara masons built the hall slightly out of true so that loads were distributed unevenly across the columns, leaving one pillar bearing nothing. The effect is unmistakable, magical, and — if you sit watching the trick for a while — strangely calming. The pillar is one of the most-photographed features of any temple in southern India.