Suresh330 at 12:26, 31 May 2026

2026-05-31T12:26:38Z

New page

{{Short description|Two-headed bird form of Hindu god Vishnu}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = Relief of Gandaberunda bird (two headed) in the Rameshwara temple at Keladi.jpg
| width1 = 200
| alt1 = Gandabherunda as a roof statue, Rameshvara temple, [[Keladi]]
| caption1 = Gandabherunda as a roof statue, Rameshvara temple, [[Keladi]]
| image2 = GANDA-BHERUNDA.jpg
| width2 = 170
| alt2 = Gandabherunda in a decorative painting, [[Brihadeeswara Temple|Brihadishvara Temple]], [[Thanjavur]]
| caption2 = Gandabherunda in a decorative painting, [[Brihadeeswara Temple|Brihadishvara Temple]], [[Thanjavur]]
| footer = Left: Gandabherunda in a roof statue, Rameshvara temple, [[Keladi]]. Right: Gandabherunda in a decorative painting, [[Brihadeeswara Temple|Brihadishvara Temple]], [[Thanjavur]].
}}

'''Gandabherunda''' ({{IAST3|Gaṇḍabheruṇḍa}}) is a form of [[Vishnu]] in [[Hindu mythology]]. According to legend, [[Narasimha]], an [[avatar]] of Vishnu, assumes this form of a [[double-headed eagle]] to subdue [[Sharabha]], a form of [[Shiva]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Narayan |first=Aiyangar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oym17qIeB-0C&pg=PA252 |title=Essays on Indo - Aryan Mythology - Vol. 1 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0140-6 |pages=252 |language=en}}</ref> Gandabherunda is worshipped along with his consort [[Pratyangira|Narasimhi]], a fierce form of [[Lakshmi]], also revered as Simhamukhi Lakshmi.

==Depiction==
The two headed eagle is holding two [[elephants]] in his [[claw]]s and [[beak]]s, revealing his enormous powers. In a coin found in [[Madurai]], he is holding a [[snake]] in his beak.<ref>Ganesha Coins of Tamilnadu, 13.48</ref> All 2-dimensional depictions show a symmetrical image in which he is a [[double-headed eagle]] while other images show his long tail [[feathers]] like a [[peafowl]]. In the [[Chennakeshava Temple, Belur|Chennakeshava Temple]], [[Bēlūru|Beluru]], [[Karnataka]], Gandabherunda as a two headed eagle is carved in a scene of chain of destruction, which results in the destruction of the universe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=kamat.com |first=kamat.com |date=2 February 2014 |title=Kamat's Potpourri: Amma's Column - Gandabherunda-The Two Headed Eagle |url=http://www.kamat.com/jyotsna/blog/blog.php?BlogID=1149 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202000034/http://www.kamat.com/jyotsna/blog/blog.php?BlogID=1149 |archive-date=2 February 2014 |access-date=30 July 2023 |website=kamat.com}}</ref> Gandabherunda is a form of [[Narasimha]], the fourth incarnation of [[Vishnu]] in the [[Dashavatara]] of [[Vishnu]] and he disemboweled and killed both [[Sharabha]] and [[Hiranyakashipu]] at the same time. He is present in many Hindu scriptures.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BVJRAAAAYAAJ&q=gandabherunda+purana |title=The Vedanta Kesari |date=February 1967 |publisher=Sri Ramakrishna Math. |language=en}}</ref>

== Legend ==
After [[Narasimha]] disemboweled and killed the asura king [[Hiranyakashipu]], he burned and killed all other asuras and won over them. In the original story of this incident, the asura king Hiranyakashipu and the asura queen Kayudhu's son [[Prahlada]] prayed to him along with the devas and devis and celebrated him, after which Narasimha went to [[Vaikuntha]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kaivalya |first1=Alanna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MbAeEAAAQBAJ&dq=narasimha+prahlad&pg=PT127 |title=Myths of the Asanas: The Stories at the Heart of the Yoga Tradition |last2=Kooij |first2=Arjuna van der |date=8 September 2020 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-68383-848-7 |language=en}}</ref> However [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] and [[Shaivism|Shaiva]] scriptures tell a story, one that includes [[Vishnu]] and [[Shiva]]. In this story, the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] and [[devi]]s, thinking that Narasimha would destroy the universe in his fury when fighting with Hiranyakashipu, approached the gods Vishnu and Shiva for help. In order to protect the universe, Shiva took his [[Virabhadra]] form to tell Narasimha to go away, but Narasimha stopped and drove Virabhadra away. Vishnu took the form of Gandabherunda as an alternative form of Narasimha, a two-headed eagle animal, and Shiva took the form of [[Sharabha]], a part-lion and part-eagle animal. Narasimha as Gandabherunda with Sharabha and Hiranyakashipu fought an 18-day battle. On the 18th day, Narasimha as Gandabherunda disemboweled and killed both Sharabha and Hiranyakashipu at the same time. Sharabha then told to Narasimha as Gandabherunda to leave him to go away, after which Narasimha as Gandabherunda became calm. As a mark of respect, Sharabha removed the skin of his body and gave it to Narasimha as Gandabherunda and Narasimha as Gandabherunda wore it as a hide and gave the hide to Sharabha, who attached the hide to his body and grew it as his skin back fully. The universe now being peaceful and intact, Gandabherunda as Narasimha and Sharabha took their true forms of Vishnu and Shiva and went to their respective heavens of Vaikuntha and [[Mount Kailash|Kailasha]] respectively.

== Usage ==
Gandabherunda is the emblem of the [[Kingdom of Mysore]] of [[Wadiyar dynasty|Wadiyar rulers]], and after India was united, it was kept by [[Mysore State]] as its emblem. The Mysore State was enlarged in 1956 CE and renamed as [[Karnataka]] in 1973 CE, and Gandabherunda is the official state emblem of [[Karnataka]]. It is used as official [[emblem]] of [[Government of Karnataka]]. It is a [[statue]] [[motif (visual arts)|motif]] in [[Hindu]] temples.<ref>{{cite web |last=kamat.com |first=kamat.com |date=12 April 2007 |title=Mystical Bird Gandabherunda |url=http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/prani/ganda.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070415045013/http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/prani/ganda.htm |archive-date=15 April 2007 |accessdate=12 April 2007 |website=kamat.com}}</ref>

A statue showing Gandabherunda is found on the roof of the Rameshvara temple in the temple town of [[Keladi]] in [[Shimoga District]], the capital of the [[Nayakas of Keladi|Keladi Nayakas]]. Gandabherunda is used by the Wadiyar rulers of [[Mysore]] as a royal emblem. [[Government of Karnataka]] has Gandabherunda as a state symbol and is found on bus terminals and tickets issued by [[Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation]]. Gold Coins from the reign of [[Achyuta Deva Raya]] is the first to use Gandabherunda on coins.<ref>{{Cite web |last=coinindia.com |first=coinindia.com |date=2 May 2017 |title=The Coinindia Coin Galleries: Vijayanagara |url=http://coinindia.com/galleries-vijayanagar2.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502100819/http://coinindia.com/galleries-vijayanagar2.html |archive-date=2 May 2017 |access-date=23 January 2020 |website=coinindia.com}}</ref> The crests of the [[Indian Navy]] ships named INS Mysore - {{ship|INS|Mysore|C60}} and {{ship|INS|Mysore|D60}} depicts Gandabherunda. Indian navy's "stitched sail" ship [[INSV Kaundinya]]'s sails also depict the motif.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Indian Navy |first=Indian Navy |title=TRADITIONALLY BUILT ‘ANCIENT STITCHED SHIP’ INDUCTED INTO THE INDIAN NAVY AS INSV KAUNDINYA |url=https://indiannavy.gov.in/content/traditionally-built-ancient-stitched-ship-inducted-indian-navy-insv-kaundinya |website=Indian Navy}}</ref>

The Gandaberunda is very similar in design to the double-headed eagle used in Western heraldry, used as a symbol by Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and Russia in their respective coats of arms, and as an emblem by a number of Orthodox Christian churches, including the Greek Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania.

<gallery>
File:GBerunda.JPG|Gandabherunda as emblem on [[Mysore Palace]].
File:Seal of Karnataka.svg|Gandabherunda as emblem on [[Emblem of Karnataka]], [[India]].
File:Gandaberunda (Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore).jpg|Gandabherunda as emblem on [[Lalitha Mahal|Lalita Mahal Palace Hotel]], [[Mysore]].
</gallery>

==In popular culture==
''[[Gandu Bherunda]]'' is a [[Kannada cinema|Kannada]] film directed by S. V. Rajendrasingha Babu and produced by Vajramuni. The playwright of the movie was the celebrated writer, H.V. Subba Rao. The film was released in 1984. The music was composed by [[Satyam (composer)|Sathyam]]. [[Hindi cinema|Bollywood]] actor [[Amrish Puri]] played the antagonist in the film.

== See also ==
* [[Garuda]]
* [[Pratyangira]]
* [[Roc (mythology)]]
* [[Yali (mythology)|Yali]]
* [[Double-headed eagle]]

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.srikanta-sastri.org/evolution-of-the-gandabherunda/4576393366 "Evolution of Gandabherunda"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105093741/http://www.srikanta-sastri.org/evolution-of-the-gandabherunda/4576393366 |date=5 January 2016 }}-article by [[S. Srikanta Sastri]]
* http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=iqsc4symp
* A historical and unique sculpture of Gandabherunda from [[Balligavi]]: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/dunkinjalki/5166151080/]

[[Category:Legendary birds]]
[[Category:Legendary creatures in Hindu mythology]]
[[Category:Heraldic birds]]
[[Category:Indian legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Forms of Vishnu]]
[[Category:Mythical many-headed creatures]]

Gandabherunda - Revision history

Suresh330 at 12:26, 31 May 2026