Sri Garuda Panchami-- Garuda temple at Koladevi

Kumkumankitha Varnaya Kundendu Davalayacha Vishnu Vahanamsthubyam Pakshirajaya Thenamaha ( One who has the complexion of Kumkum, one who shines like the bright moon I pray to the Vahana of Vishnu, who is the king of the Birds.) A few years back, I got the chance to go to the Garuda Temple at Koladevi, which is close to Mulbagal in the Karnataka Kolar District. This temple is devoted to Garuda Deva, the divine vehicle of Lord Vishnu. The Garuda Temple, a renowned historical structure, is situated in the rural village of Koladevi in Mulbagilu Taluk, Kolar District, Karnataka, India. Adjacent to this location, there are several historic temples such as the Kurudumale Ganesha Temple. Garuda Panchami falls on the 5th day of the waxing moon (Shukla Paksha) in the Indian month of Shravan (July-August). The day is specifically devoted to Garuda, the divine chariot of Lord Vishnu and the sovereign ruler of avian creatures.

History -Sthalapurana The origin of this temple can be traced back to the Treta Yuga, a period mentioned in the Ramayana. As well acknowledged, Ravanasura, the Demon King of Lanka, is notorious for his intense fury in pursuing his wants and his unwavering determination to achieve his ambitions. He was a fervent worshipper of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. He was a devout ascetic who also requested Lord Shiva's atmalinga. In the Treta Yuga, he desired Sita Maatha (Goddess Lakshmi who is positioned on the left hand of Lord Garuda in the Garuda Devalaya). Lord Rama, Sita Maatha, and brother Lakshmana underwent a 14-year period of exile in the wilderness. During that period, Ravana abducts Sita Maatha using his pushpakha vimana. . Sita Maatha was searching for her husband while screaming his name, "Rama Rama," three times on her way to Lanka. Jatayu, a humanoid creature with the face of a vulture and the body of a human, who serves as Lord Vishnu's vehicle, is flying in the sky and hears the cries of Sita Maatha. He immediately comes to Sita Maatha's aid against Ravana and engages in a formidable battle. During the conflict, Ravana amputates Jayatu's wings. The Garuda shrine is supposed to be located at the same spot where the two wings crashed on Earth. The settlement was named "Koladevi" because Ravana killed the bird Jatayu, and in the Kannada language, the term for "to kill" is "Kolu". As his wings hit the earth, he chanted the name of Lord Rama three times. Lord Hanumantha, Lord Rama's greatest devotee, came dashing to this location, which is why Lord Hanumantha's idol is also located here. Nevertheless, in accordance with Valmiki's Ramayana, Rama and Lakshmana encounter Hanuman subsequent to these events. The prathishtapana was performed several decades ago by Ramanujacharya, a prominent figure from Tamil Nadu around the 11th century. Consequently, this temple is regarded as being more than 1100 years old. A solitary idol of Lord Garuda Deva bears eight sarpas or serpents on its body. Additionally, it is believed that offering prayers to this deity can alleviate any form of Sarpa Dosha. Kaala Sarpa Dosha, Hrdaya Dosha, Kanta Dosha, Rahu Keti Dosha, Rahu Sandhi Dosha, and Sidha Dosha are different types of afflictions that will be removed once he possesses all eight serpents on his body - Om Ashta Naagabharanaya Namah. Many individuals visit different Lord Subramanya Swamy temples throughout the country, such as Kuke Subramaneshwara temple or Sri Kalahasti, in order to receive blessings and find remedies for various types of Sarpa Doshas. Nevertheless, it is clear that visiting the temple only provides a partial cure, whereas it is at this particular temple that all Sarpa Dosha's will be completely and permanently eliminated. The reason for this is that in those specific areas, only one type of sarpa dosha nivarane is performed, not all eight forms of doshas. Therefore, visiting only this temple is believed to completely eliminate the doshas and provide good fortune to people who seek the blessings of Lord Garuda. The central deity of the main temple is Lord Garuda Deva. Lord Narayana is positioned to the right of him, while Goddess Lakshmi is positioned to his left. There is no specific place or receptacle designated for the disposal of waste related to Garuda Deva anywhere in the world. The temple is unique since it is the only one that has a garbagudi dedicated to Lord Garuda Deva, which is why it is called Garudadevalaya. Typically, Lord Garuda is shown either at the top or the base of the dhvajasthamba, but this unique idol cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Arjuna, also referred to as Partha and Dhananjaya in the epic Mahabharat, inadvertently becomes responsible for igniting a raging conflagration in the forest. As a result, a significant number of snakes were exterminated, and they bestowed a curse of Sarpa Dosha upon Arjuna. These adverse consequences had a significant impact on his life, leading him to seek relief from the Sarpa Dosha. He was instructed to pray to Lord Garuda in order to be freed from the Sarpa Dosha. Lord Narayana requests Garuda deva to assist Arjuna in eliminating the adverse consequences of the Sarpa Dosha. Lord Garuda acknowledges that his effectiveness and helpfulness are limited in the absence of Lord Narayana or Goddess Lakshmi. Lord Narayan declares his intention to sit on the right side of Lord Garuda, with Goddess Lakshmi on his left. This arrangement ensures that anyone who seeks the blessings of Lord Garuda will receive double blessings from both Lord Narayan and Goddess Lakshmi, resulting in wealth and abundance. This information is also included in the Garuda Purana. Another distinctive feature of this temple is the presence of an idol of Lord Anjeneya Swamy. This hand of Lord Anjeneya holds the Brahmastra, making it a one-of-a-kind artefact that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. In addition, his teeth are discernible. There is one more temple of Garuda at Bindiganavile-- I shall share information about the same in my next blog