Akshata Murty's 'Gandaberunda' necklace: Importance of the 'two-headed bird' in 10 points

Akshata Murty wears a necklace with a 'Gandaberunda' pendant during Diwali celebrations at UK's 10 Downing Street. (Image credit: @uday_birje, @pratiktwts/X)

Akshata Murty recently won hearts in India with her choice of festive clothing and jewellery during the Diwali celebrations at 10 Downing Street -- the official residence of her husband and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The UK First Lady wore a saree and a necklace that featured "Gandaberunda" the state emblem of Karnataka which is currently home to her parents Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and philanthropist Sudha Murty.

Absolutely love the fact the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife chose to wear a gandaberunda necklace on Diwali. The two headed mythical bird is held to be a form of Vishnu and is the state emblem of Karnataka where Akshata Murthy’s parents live. pic.twitter.com/187lX8xbI2

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— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) November 13, 2023

Here's what you need to know about "Gandaberunda":

1.) "Gandaberunda" or "Bherunda" is a two-headed bird in Hindu mythology and is considered a form of Lord Vishnu.

2.) It has a deep historical link with Mysuru in Karnataka. In Hindu mythology, the Gandaberunda can be traced back to the Vijayanagara Empire, and was later chosen as the insignia of the Mysuru kingdom. It has now been more than 500 years that the two-headed bird has been synonymous with the royal history of Mysuru.

3.) According to historian PV Nanjaraje Urs, Gandaberunda was first used as a sign on coins in Vijayanagar mints, many of coins which still exist.

4.) At times, the Gandaberunda is also shown to be carrying elephants on its talons and beaks to highlight its strength. This was accepted as a symbol of the union of strength of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

5.) As per the myths, when Lord Vishnu adopted the Narasimha (man-lion) avatar to kill Hiranyakashyap, the father of his devotee Prahlad, his anger did not die down even after Hiranyakashyap’s death. This frightened all the gods and they requested Lord Shiva to intervene.

Accordingly, Lord Shiva came in the form of Sharaba (elephant-headed lion) to pacify Narasimha, but soon, he himself lost his cool, and Lord Vishnu had to take the form of Gandaberunda, a bird with huge feathers and two heads opposite to each other. He held the Sharaba in his beak to bring him under control.

6.) The two-headed bird possesses immense magical strength and is seen in numerous temple sculptures across the country.

7.) Historically, Yaduraya Wodeyar -- the first king of Mysuru -- embarked on a victory march to consolidate their rank. "During the Yathra, an ascetic encountered and gave him a red cloth. The King offered pooja to it and accepted it as a blessing. He won all acclaim thereafter," historian PV Nanjaraje Urs told Deccan Herald.

"The red cloth given to Yaduraya was then presented to his public as the Rajdhawaja or State Flag. He then added a slogan known as 'Sathymevodhbhavaramyaham' with an image of the mythical bird to add the principles of dharma and satya to the flag," he added.

8.) After Independence, Mysuru continued to use the flag as its state emblem and when it became a part of Karnataka, the Gandaberunda became the state's official emblem.

9.) Currently, it is the official emblem of the Karnataka government, and legislators of both Houses of the state wear gold-coated metal badges depicting Gandaberunda while attending sessions.

10.) It is also the same insignia of the 61st Cavalry of the Indian Army.

Read more: Akshata Murty's saree, jewellery for Diwali in UK a tribute to home state Karnataka