Garudeshvara

About

Sage Kashyap had many wives, two of whom were Kadru and Vinata. Kadru gave birth to children who were snakes and Vinata, a huge bird, gave birth to Garuda. Garuda freed his mother Vinata from the clutches of slavery. Later Vinata told her son Garuda that she must have committed some sin due to which she became a maidservant. She wanted to go to Kashi to atone for her sins. Garuda took him to Kashi where Garuda installed a Shiva Linga and started praying fervently. Lord Shiva personally appeared and blessed Garuda saying that Garuda would be known by everyone in the world as the vahana/sawari (vehicle) of Lord Vishnu. Lord Shiva further blessed Garuda that those devotees who worship Garudeshwar would be blessed with supreme knowledge.