Gandaberunda () or Bheruṇḍa (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

: भेरुण्ड, lit. ''terrible'') is a

two-headed Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems ''poly'' (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" and ''kephalē'' (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head". A polycephalic organism may be thought o ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...

, believed to possess immense magical strength. Later

Vaishnava Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

traditions hold it to be a form of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

to fight

Sharabha Sharabha ( sa, शरभ, ,Tamil: ஸரபா, kn, ಶರಭ, Telugu: శరభ) or Sarabha is a part-lion and part-bird beast in Hindu history, who is described eight-legged and more powerful than a lion or an elephant, possessing the ability ...

(In

Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...

tradition, Sharabha is a form of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

taken to pacify Vishnu's

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

avatar).

Depiction

The bird is generally depicted as clutching

elephants Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and ...

in its

talons A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...

and

beaks The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, ...

, demonstrating its immense strength. In a coin asufound in

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

, it is shown holding a

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

in its beak. All 2-dimensional depictions show a symmetrical image similar to the

double-headed eagle In heraldry and vexillology, the double-headed eagle (or double-eagle) is a charge (heraldry), charge associated with the concept of Empire. Most modern uses of the symbol are directly or indirectly associated with its use by the late Byzantin ...

while other images show the long tail

feathers Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier e ...

resembling a

peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...

. In the Chennakeshava temple of Belur, Karnataka, Gandaberunda, the two faced bird is carved as a scene of "chain of destruction" result in destruction of the universe. The Gandaberunda was later identified as a secondary form taken by

, the fourth

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

. It is mentioned by several Hindu scriptures.

Legend

After Narasimha had slain the asura king

Hiranyakashipu Hiranyakashipu (; also known as Hiranyakashyap) was an Asura king of the ''daityas'' from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. His name literally translates to "clothed in gold" (''hiranya'' "gold" ''kashipu'' "soft cushion"), and is often inte ...

, he drank the demon's blood, but his fury did not subside. According to the original iterations of this legend, the asura's son

Prahlada Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion towards the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by slaying his wicked fa ...

was able to pacify the wrath of Narasimha with the recitation of moving prayers, after which the latter returned to Vaikuntha. However, Shaiva traditions made retroactive alterations to this tale, seeking to establish the supremacy of

. The gods, (

devas Devas may refer to: * Devas Club, a club in south London * Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter * Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist * Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club * Devas (band), ...

) fearing that Narasimha might destroy the cosmos in his fury, approached the deity

for help. In order to protect creation, Shiva took his

Virabhadra Virabhadra (), also rendered Veerabhadra, Veerabathira, and Veerabathiran, is a fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is created by the wrath of Shiva, when the deity hurls a lock of his matted hair upon the ground, upon hearing of the self- ...

form to beseech Narasimha to see reason, but Narasimha ignored this appeal. So, he then took the form of

or Sharabheswara, a part-lion and part-bird beast. He fought Narasimha in combat, finally subduing him with his claws over the latter's immobile form, after which the deities returned to their abodes. Following this, Vaishnava tradition now created an extension to the legend as well, holding that while Sharabha held Narasimha and began carrying him high in the sky, Narasimha took the form of a two-headed eagle - Gandaberunda - who was even stronger than Sharabha, and now with renewed rage. After hot pursuit, when Gandaberunda met Sharabha, a fierce 18-day long battle ensued between them. On the eighteenth day, Gandhaberunda defeated Sharabha, and as a consequence, snapped out of his fury and restored his sense of calm. As a mark of respect to Vishnu, Sharabha removed the skin of his body and presented it to Gandaberunda. Both Vishnu and Shiva then returned to their abodes.

Usage

The Gandaberunda was the emblem of the erstwhile

Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...

under the

Wodeyar The Wadiyar dynasty (formerly spelt Wodeyer or Odeyer, also referred to as the Wadiyars of Mysore), is a late-medieval/ early-modern South Indian Hindu royal family of former kings of Mysore from the Urs clan originally based in Mysore city. ...

kings, and after India attained independence, it was retained by the

Mysore state Mysore State, colloquially Old Mysore, was a state within the Dominion of India and the later Republic of India from 1947 until 1956. The state was formed by renaming the Kingdom of Mysore, and Bangalore replaced Mysore as the state's capital. ...

as its emblem. The aforementioned state was enlarged in 1956 and renamed

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

in 1973, and the Gandabherunda continues to be the official state emblem of

. It is used as the

official An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their ...

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...

of the

state government. It is believed to represent resilience against the forces of destruction. It appears as an intricately carved

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

motif in

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

temples. A sculpture depicting a Gandaberunda is found on the roof of the Rameshwara temple in the temple town of

Keladi Keladi is a temple town in Sagara Taluk of the state of Karnataka in India. Keladi is located about 8 km from the town of Sagara. History It is the place whence the ''Ikkeri'' chiefs derived their origin, which is thus related: Two broth ...

Shimoga District Shimoga district, officially known as Shivamogga district, is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga district lies in the Malnad region or the Sahyadri. Shimoga city is its administrative centre. Jog Falls view po ...

, the capital of the

Keladi Nayakas Nayakas of Keladi (1499–1763), also known as Nayakas of Bednore and Ikkeri Nayakas, were an Indian dynasty based in Keladi in present-day Shimoga district of Karnataka, India. They were an important ruling dynasty in post-medieval Karnata ...

. The Gandaberunda was also used by the

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

as the Royal emblem. The

Karnataka Government The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appointed ...

adopted this symbol as the state symbol and can be found on bus terminals and tickets issued by

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation - (Karnataka SRTC), is a state-owned public road transport corporation in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is wholly owned by the Government of Karnataka. It serves routes to towns and cities in ...

. Coins(Gold pagoda or gadyana) from the rule of

Achyuta Deva Raya Achyuta Deva Raya (died 1542 CE) was a ruler of a Vijayanagara Empire of South India. He was the younger brother of Krishna Deva Raya, whom he succeeded in 1529. During his reign, Fernao Nuniz a Portuguese traveller, chronicler and horse t ...

are thought to be the first to use the Gandaberunda on currency. The crest of the Indian navy ship

INS Mysore (D60) INS ''Mysore'' is a guided-missile destroyer currently in active service with the Indian Navy. History INS ''Mysore'' was built at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. Her keel was laid down in February 1991 and she was launched on 4 June 1993. S ...

features a Gandaberunda. File:GBerunda.JPG, The Gandaberunda emblem in the Mysore Palace. File:Seal of Karnataka.svg,

Coat of arms of Karnataka The Emblem of Karnataka is the state emblem of Karnataka, India. The emblem is based on that of the Kingdom of Mysore is carried on all official correspondences made by the Government of Karnataka. Design The emblem has a red shield charged w ...

, India File:Ganberunda.jpg, Gandaberunda image seen at Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore

In popular culture

Ganda Berunda ''Gandu Bherunda'' is a 1984 Indian Kannada language drama film directed by Rajendra Singh Babu featuring an ensemble cast based on the American movie ''Mackenna's Gold''. The plot involves an epigraphist and a geologist on a hunt for an ancien ...

'' is a

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

film directed by S. V. Rajendrasingh Babu and produced by Vajramuni. The playwright of the movie was the celebrated writer, late H V Subba Rao. The film was released in the year 1984. The music was composed by Sathyam.

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

actor

Amrish Puri Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Indian cinema and Theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himself as one of the most popular actors ...

played the antagonist in the film.

References

External links

"Evolution of Gandabherunda"
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105093741/http://www.srikanta-sastri.org/evolution-of-the-gandabherunda/4576393366 , date=2016-01-05 -article by

S. Srikanta Sastri Sondekoppa Srikanta Sastri (5 November 1904 – 10 May 1974) was an Indian historian, Indologist, and polyglot. He authored around 12 books, over two hundred articles, several monographs and book reviews over four decades in English, Kannada, T ...

* http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=iqsc4symp * A unique sculpture of Gandaberunda or berunda from

Balligavi Balligavi a town in Shikaripura taluk Shivamogga district of Karnataka state, India, is today known as Belagami or Balagame. Its ancient names are Baligrama, Dakshina Kedara, Valliggame and Valligrame. Dakshina Kedara means Kedarnath of the Sout ...