Gandaberunda at Balligavi, Shimoga District, Karnataka.

         The Gandaberunda or The Mighty Two-headed Bird was an incarnation of Vishnu assumed to fight another incarnation of the Hindu God of Destruction, Shiva. Gandaberunda took on Shiva's incarnation, a half lion, half bird called Sharabha and defeated it. It is also the state emblem of Karnataka in India and is said to possess magicalpowers.