Story of Srinivasa, Padmavathi, Bibi Nancharamma

Story of Lord Vishnu Coming to Earth
The rishis headed by Kasyapa began to perform a sacrifice on the banks of the Ganges. Sage Narada visited them and asked them why they were performing the sacrifice and who would be pleased by it.
Not being able to answer the question, the rishis approached Sage Bhrigu. To reach a solution after a direct ascertainment of reality, Sage Bhrigu first went to Satyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma.

At Satyaloka, he found Lord Brahma, reciting the four Vedas in praise of Lord Narayana, with each of his four heads, and attended upon by Saraswati. Lord Brahma did not take notice of Bhrigu offering obeisance. Concluding that Lord Brahma was unfit for worship, Bhrigu left Satyaloka for Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva.

At Kailasa, Bhrigu found Lord Siva spending his time pleasantly with Parvati and not noticing his presence. Parvati drew the attention of Siva to the presence of the sage.Lord Siva was furious at Bhrigu's intrusion and tried to destroy him. The sage cursed Lord Siva and left for Vaikuntam.
At Vaikuntam, Lord Vishnu (also called Srimannarayana) was reposing on Adisesha with Sri Mahalakshmi in service at His feet. Finding that Srimannarayana also did not notice him, the sage was infuriated and he kicked the Lord on His chest, the place where Mahalakshmi resides.
At once, Lord Vishnu hastened to apologise to the angry sage and pressed his feet to allay the pain caused to Bhrigu's leg. In doing so the Lord removed the eye in the foot of the sage, which gave Bhrigu power as to defy the Devas. Thereupon, the sage decided that Lord Vishnu was the most supreme of the trimurthis and told the rishis the same. Thereupon, they decided that Lord Vishnu was the fruit of the yaga.
Sri Mahalakshmi was angered by the action of her Lord in apologising to Bhrigu who committed an offence. She, therefore, left Vaikuntam without heeding the entreaties of the Lord.

Story of Varaha SwamyAt the commencement of the current Sveta Varaha Kalpa, the whole universe was filled with water and the Earth was immersed in it. Lord Vishnu assumed the form of a white boar (Sri Varaha) and dived into the water to lift the Earth. He slew the demon Hiranyaksha who was obstructing Him and rescued the Earth.

Brahma and the other Devas praised Sri Varaha for saving the Earth by chanting the Vedas and showering flowers on Him. Lord Vishnu decided to stay on Earth in the form of Sri Varaha for some time, to punish the wicked and protect the virtuous. The place then came to be known as Varaha Kshetra and the Varaha Kalpa commenced.

After Departure of MahaLakshmi.
After the departure of Mahalakshmi, a forlorn Lord Vishnu left Vaikuntam and took abode in an ant-hill under a tamarind tree, beside a pushkarini on the Venkata Hill .
Taking pity on Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara decided to assume the forms of a cow and its calf to serve Him.Surya, the Sun God informed Mahalakshmi of this and requested her to assume the form of a cowherdess and sell the cow and calf to the king of the Chola country.

The king of the Chola country bought the cow and its calf and sent them to graze on the Venkata Hill along with his herd of cattle. Discovering Lord Vishnu on the ant-hill, the cow provided its milk, and thus fed the Lord.Meanwhile, at the palace, the cow was not yielding any milk, for which the Chola Queen chastised the cowherd severely.To find out the cause of lack of milk, the cowherd followed the cow, hid himself behind a bush and discovered the cow emptying her udder over the ant-hill.Incensed over the conduct of the cow, the cowherd aimed a blow with his axe on the head of the cow. However, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill to receive the blow and save the cow.When the cowherd saw the Lord bleed at the blow of his axe, he fell down and died of shock. On the death of the cowherd, the cow returned, bellowing in fright and with blood stains all over her body, to the Chola King. To find out the cause of the cow's terror, the King followed her to the scene of the incident.The King found the cowherd lying dead on the ground near the ant-hill. While he stood wondering how it had happened, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill and cursed the King saying that he would become an Asura because of the fault of his servant. The King pleaded innocence, and the Lord blessed him by saying that the curse would end when the Lord was adorned with a kireetam presented by Akasa Raja at the time of His marriage with Sri Padmavati.

Lord Vishnu in Form of Srinivasa approaches Varaha murthi 
Thereafter, Lord Vishnu or Srinivasa, decided to stay in Varaha Kshetra, and requested Sri Varahaswami to grant Him a site for His stay. His request being readily granted, Srinivasa ordained that a pilgrimage to His shrine would not be complete unless it is preceded by a bath in the Pushkarini and darshan of Sri Varahaswami, and that puja and naivedyam should be offered to Sri Varahaswami first.Yasoda brought up Sri Krishna, the son of Devaki, in his early years. However, Yasoda was not blessed to witness the marriage of Sri Krishna with Rukmini and she felt very sad. Sri Krishna promised to fulfil her desire in her next birth as Vakuladevi in his next avatara as Srinivasa. In Yashoda's next birth as Vakuladevi, she was serving Lord Varahaswami when He sent her to serve Srinivasa.

Birth Of Padmavati Devi
Sometime later, a King named Akasa Raja who belonged to the Lunar race was ruling over Thondamandalam. He had a brother named Thondaman. 

Akasa Raja had no heirs, and therefore, he wanted to perform a sacrifice. As part of the sacrifice, he was ploughing the fields when his plough turned up a lotus in the ground. On examining the lotus, the King found a female child in it.  
Akasa Raja was happy to find the child. He carried it to his palace and gave it to his Queen. At that time he heard a voice from above which said, "Oh! King, tend to it as your child and fortune will befall you." As the child was found in a lotus, the king named her Padmavati.  
In course of time, Princess Padmavati grew up into a beautiful maiden and was attended to by a host of maids. One day, while she was spending her time in a garden picking flowers with her maids, Sage Narada approached her. Assuring her that he was her well-wisher, he asked her to show him her palm to read her future. He foretold that she was destined to be the spouse of Lord Vishnu himself.
At this time, Lord Srinivasa, who was hunting, chased a wild elephant in the forests surrounding the hills. In the elephant's pursuit, the Lord was led into a garden, where Princess Padmavati and her maids were picking flowers.The sight of the elephant frightened the Princess and her maids..
But the elephant immediately turned around, saluted the Lord and disappeared into the forest. Lord Srinivasa, who was following on horse back, and saw the frightened maidens, who accosted Him with queries.Lord Srinivasa gave the maids details about his birth and parentage. He, in turn, enquired after their princess, her birth and parentage.When the maids informed Lord Srinivasa that the princess was Padmavati, foster daughter of Akasa Raja, He expressed his interest in her. However, He was repulsed with stones thrown at Him by the maids. He returned to the hills in haste, leaving His horse behind.
When Lord Srinivasa returned, Vakuladevi brought him his usual dinner comprising various delicacies. However, she found him lying on his bed, pining for his love. When she enquired about the cause, the Lord informed her that unless he married Princess Padmavati, he would never be well again. Vakuladevi then asked Him to tell her all about the Princess. The Lord then narrated the story of her (Padmavati’s) previous birth and his promise to wed her.

STORY OF VEDAVATHI( Previous Birth of Padmavati Devi)

In olden times, Lakshmi, in the form of Vedavati, was staying in an ashram in the forests. At that time, Ravana, the lord of Lanka tried to tempt her. In anger, Vedavati cursed him saying that she would bring about his death.To show how true her words were, Vedavati walked into the fire, but Agni, the Fire God rescued her. He took Vedavati to his house and entrusted her to his wife's care.
When Ravana was about to carry away Sita from Panchavati, in the absence of Rama and Lakshmana, Agni appeared and offered Vedavati to Ravana as the real Sita who was kept with him by Rama to evade Ravana. Ravana was tricked into thinking that Vedavati was the real Sita.
Ravana took Vedavati to Lanka thinking she was the real Sita, while Agni took Sita to his house and asked his wife Swahadevi to look after her.After the destruction of Ravana, Vedavati entered the fire when rejected by Rama. 
Then, Agni, offered the real Sita to Rama. Rama then questioned her as to who the other lady by her side was.Sita informed Rama that the lady was Vedavati who endured Ravana's torture for ten months in Lanka for her sake. Sita requested Rama to accept Vedavati also as his spouse. But Rama declined her request saying that he believed in having only one wife during his life time. However, He promised to wed her in her next birth as Padmavati, born as the daughter of Akasa Raja, when Rama himself would take the form of Srinivasa.

Final story of Srinivasa Padmavati Marriage

After listening to Srinivasa's story of how he had promised to marry Vedavati in her next birth as Padmavati, Vakuladevi realised that Srinivasa would not be happy unless he married Padmavati. She offered to go to Akasa Raja and his Queen and arrange for the marriage. On the way she met the maid-servants of Padmavati returning from a Siva Temple. She learnt from them that Padmavati was also pining for Srinivasa. Vakuladevi went along with the maidservants to the Queen
Meanwhile, Akasa Raja and his queen Dharanidevi were anxious about the health of their daughter, Padmavathi. They learnt about Padmavathi's love for Srinivasa of Venkata Hill. Akasa Raja consulted Brihaspati about the propriety of the marriage and was informed that the marriage was in the best interest of both the parties.
After the departure of Vakuladevi, Srinivasa could not rest in peace. He doubted if she would succeed in her mission. He, therefore, assumed the form of a lady fortune-teller and entered the streets of the capital telling fortunes. Padmavathi's maids saw her and invited her to the presence of their Queen.The maid-servants informed Queen Dharanidevi that the fortune-teller was hesitating to enter the palace without the Queen's invitation.The Queen came out herself and invited the fortune-teller into the palace.The fortune- teller was taken to the presence of Princess Padmavati.The fortune-teller read the palm of the Princess and told the Queen about the cause of Padmavati's indisposition. She advised the Queen to give Padmavati in marriage to Lord Srinivasa. She also told the Queen that a lady would approach her shortly on behalf of Lord Srinivasa, to formally request Padmavati's hand in marriage.
After the departure of the fortune-teller, Vakuladevi arrived at the palace, and was taken by the maidservants to the Queen. She informed the Queen that she had come on behalf Lord Srinivasa to request the hand of Padmavati in marriage.Having consulted Brihaspati and heard from his Queen about the prediction of the fortune-teller and the arrival of the messenger from Srinivasa, Akasa Raja decided to hand his daughter in marriage to Srinivasa. He asked the palace purohits to fix a muhurtam for the marriage.
Akasa Raja informed his ministers and other officials of his plans. Immediately, a letter was drafted 
requesting Srinivasa to come and marry the Princess.Akasa Raja entrusted the delivery of the letter to Sukamahamunin. Suka went to the Venkata Hill with Vakuladevi. He presented the patrika to Lord Srinivasa, who was very happy. The Lord sent his garland for Padmavati through Suka.
Kubera lent money to Lord Srinivasa to meet the expenses of the marriage.
Lord Srinivasa, along with his consorts and Lord Brahma and Lord Siva started the journey to the residence of Akasa Raja with his vehicle Garuda.At the palace entrance, Lord Srinivasa was received by Akasa Raja with full honours and taken in procession on a mounted elephant to the palace for the marriage.In the presence of all the Devas, Lord Srinivasa wed Princess Padmavati, thus blessing Akasa Raja.

Story of After Marriage with Padmavati Devi

While Srinivasa and Padmavati were married Happily. Goddess Lakshmi comes to know about the marriage of Lord Vishnu  as srinivas with Padmavati. She comes with anger and fights with Padmavati Devi and curse Lord Srinivasa to become a Stone idol then he takes a 7 steps back and becomes stone while Padmavati Devi and Lakshmi devi fight. those Seven steps become 7 hills. 

Goddess Lakshmi reminds the story of Padmavati .

After Lord turned into Stone . Goddess Lakshmi and Padmavati Devi Starts crying and Lakshmi Devi realises that she as Sita asked him to marry and that boon was fullfilled like this.forgives Padmavati Devi then Padmavathi Devi also turns herself as a stone idol. 

Goddess Lakshmi feels cupable. and Re incarnates As Bibi Nancharamma.
Goddess Lakshmi in grief that she cursed  Lord to turn to stone Cries and feels she need to purify herself to reach the lord again.Goddess Lakshmi decides to take a new life and reach god with pure heart and heart full of worship to reach her home . (win a place back lord vishnu heart).
Then takes an incarnation of herself in a  Lotus flower similar to birth of Sita in ramayan, Born in lotus in water and that Lotus with baby is found to a mughul King . 
Inspite of being grown in Mughul King . She find Lord  Vishnu stories Fascinating and starts worshiping him.

And one day she realises that she was not born to Mughul king But was found in lotus flower like mahalakshmi born as sita in ramayan . ( sita was born in Lotus flower in Ravan kingdom then Ravan finds her as threat to his life then throws in Ocean, Ocean god gives to mother Earth and Hence mother Earth gives it to King Janaka as a gift from while plowing farm as part of Yagna).
Bibi nancharamma also realises her main intentio of this life is to worship lord and get back her old place in lords Heart. 

Bibi Nancharamma becomes an extreme devotee. then Lord Srinivasa one day pleased with her worship offers place in his heart and which was meant for her as mahalakshmi .

from that Day . Lord Venkateshwara Or Lord Srinivasa has 2 Devis on his Heart  Padmavati Devi and Bibi Nancharamma ( goddess Mahalakshmi. ).







note : this story is true for my knowledge. no discrepancies would be entertained  . main intention is to spread good and  store all stories  I know . 

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GAYATRI MANTRA

AN IDEAL BRAHMIN AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GAYATRI MANTRA

Describing about the qualities of an ideal brahmin, Sage Pulastya said--- Once, Narada had asked Lord Brahma as to who was worthy of receiving Vishnu's blessings. Lord Brahma had told Narada that Lord Vishnu showered his blessings on those who engaged themselves in the service of brahmins. A brahmin should be virtuous and well versed in all the scriptures. A brahmin who does not observe the rituals as mentioned in the Vedas, brings disgrace to his ancestors. An ideal brahmin is respectful towards his parents, teachers and treats his guests with due honor. He never aspires for women other than his wife and chants the sacred Gayatri mantra everyday.

Goddess Gayatri is said to have manifested in the lineage of Sankhyayan. She is of fair complexion and fire is the symbolical expression of her mouth. Lord Brahma dwells on her forehead, Lord Vishnu in her heart and Lord Rudra has his abode in her braided hair. The Gayatri mantra consists of 24 letters and each of them is related with a specific deity. There is a mention of Gayatri mantra, which consists of 18 letters. It begins with the word 'agni' and ends with 'swaha'. The mantra is as follows---

OM AGNERVAKPUNSI YAJURDEDIN JUSHTA SOMAM PIBA SWAHA.

A person, who chants the mantra for 100 times, becomes liberated from gravest of sin. The various deities related with the twenty-four letters of Gayatri Mantra are as follows--

1st letter --- Agni 2nd letter --- Vayu 3rd letter --- Surya 4th letter --- Akash

5th letter --- Yamraj 6th letter --- Varuna 7th letter --- Brihaspati 8th letter --- Parjanya

9th letter --- Indra 10th letter --- Gandharva 11th letter --- Poosha 12th letter --- Mitra

13th letter --- Twashta 14th letter --- Vasu 15th letter --- Marudganas 16th letter --- Soma

17th letter --Angira 18th letter --Vishwadeva 19th letter --Ashwins 20th letter --Prajapati

21st letter ---All deities 22nd letter --- Rudra 23rd letter --- Brahma 24th letter --- Vishnu 

Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

tát savitúr váreṇ(i)yaṃ

bhárgo devásya dhīmahi

dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt

A devotee should then perform the ritual of 'nyas' by mentally establishing different words of the Gayatri mantra in the various parts of his body as given below --

OM BHUH ---in the heart, OM BHUVAH --- in the head, OM SWAH ---in the top-knot, OM TATSAVITURVARENYAM--in the whole body, OM BHARGODEVASYA DHIMAHI ---in both eyes, OM DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT ---in both hands.

Regular chanting of Gayatri mantra bestowes similar virtues attained by the study of all the four vedas. A brahmin who does not know Gayatri mantra is considered to be worse than a shudra. Anybody who chants Gayatri mantra attains salvation.

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Journey of Pandavas after Lord Krishna Death

To Hastinapura came the sad tidings of the death of Vasudeva and the destruction of the Yadavas. When the Pandavas received the news, they lost all remaining attachment to life on earth. They crowned Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu, as emperor and the five brothers left the city with Draupadi. They went out on a pilgrimage, visiting holy places and finally reached the Himalayas. A dog joined them somewhere and kept them company all along. And the seven of them climbed the mountain on their last pilgrimage. As they toiled up the mountain path one by one fell exhausted and died. The youngest succumbed first. Draupadi, Sahadeva and Nakula were released from the burden of the flesh one after another. Then followed Arjuna and then great Bhima too. Yudhishthira saw his dear ones fall and die. Yet, serenely he went on not giving way to grief, for the light of Truth burned bright before him. Yudhishthira knew what was shadow and what was substance. The dog still followed Yudhishthira. The lesson enforced by the poet in this episode of the dog is that dharma is the only constant companion in life's journey. It was dharma who, in the shape of the dog, followed Yudhishthira up the wearisome mountain path, when his brothers and wife had gone leaving him alone. Finally, when he reached a great height, Indra appeared in his chariot. "Your brothers and Draupadi have arrived before you. You have lagged behind, burdened with your body. Ascend my chariot and go with me in the flesh. I have come to take you," said Indra. But when Yudhishthira went up to take his seat in Indra's chariot, the dog also climbed up. "No, no," said Indra. "There is no place for dogs in swarga," and pushed the dog away. "Then there is no room for me either," said Yudhishthira, and refused to enter the heavenly chariot if he had to leave his faithful companion behind. Dharma had come to test Yudhishthira's loyalty and he was pleased with his son's conduct. The dog vanished from sight. Yudhishthira reached swarga. There, he saw Duryodhana. The Kuru prince was seated on a beautiful throne and he shone with the splendor of the sun and around him stood in attendance the goddess of heroism and other angels. He did not see his brothers or anyone else. Yudhishthira was astonished. "Where are my brothers, ye denizens of swarga?" asked Yudhishthira. "This man of greed, of limited vision, is here. I do not care to spend my time in his company. We were driven by this man's envy and spite to kill friends and relatives. We stood tied by dharma to inaction when, before our eyes, innocent Panchali, united to us in sacred wedlock, was dragged to the Hall of the Assembly and insulted under the orders of this wicked man. I cannot bear the sight of this man. Tell me,where are my brothers? I wish to go where they are." Saying this Yudhishthira averted his eyes from where Duryodhana was seated in glory. Then Narada, the heavenly rishi of encyclopedic knowledge, smiled disapprovingly at Yudhishthira and said: "Renowned prince, this is not right. In swarga, we harbor no ill will. Do not speak in this manner about Duryodhana. The brave Duryodhana has attained his present state by force of kshatriya dharma. It is not right to let the things of the flesh stay in the mind and breed ill will. Do follow the law and stay here with king Duryodhana. There is no place in swarga for hatred. You have arrived here with your human body; so it is that you have these inappropriate feelings. Discard them, son!"
Yudhishthira replied:"O sage, Duryodhana, who did not know right from wrong, who was a sinner, who caused suffering to good men, who fed enmity and anger and who brought death to countless men, has attained this swarga of warriors. Where is that region of greater glory, which must be the abode of my brave and good brothers and Draupadi? I am eager to see them and Karna, and also all the friends and princes who gave up their lives in battle for me. I do not see them here. I desire to meet again Virata, Drupada, Dhrishtaketu and Sikhandin, the Panchala prince. I long to see the dear sons of Draupadi and
Abhimanyu. I do not see them here.Where are they, who threw their bodies into the blazing fire of battle for my sake, like ghee in the sacrifice? I do not see any of them here. Where are they all? My place must be among them. At the close of the battle, my mother Kunti wanted me to offer libations for Karna also. When I think of it, even now, grief overwhelms me. In ignorance of his being my own blood brother, I caused Karna to be slain. I am eager to see him. Bhima, dearer to me than life, Arjuna, who was like Indra him self, the twins Nakula and Sahadeva and our dear Panchali, steadfast in dharma, I long to see and be with them all. I do not wish to be in heaven, for what good is it for me to be here, away from my brothers? Wherever they may be, that me is swarga; not this place!" The angels, who heard this, replied: "O Yudhishthira, if you indeed desire to be with them, by all means, you may go at once. There is no need to delay," and they ordered an attendant to take Yudhishthira. So, the messenger proceeded in front and Yudhishthira followed him. As they went along, it soon became dark and in the gathering gloom could be dimly seen things weird and revolting.He waded through slippery slime of blood and offal. The path was strewn with carrion and bones and dead men's hair. Worms were wriggling everywhere and there was an insufferable stench in the air. He saw mutilated human bodies everywhere.
Yudhishthira was horrified and confused. A thousand thoughts tortured his mind as he proceeded. "How far have we to go yet on this road? Where indeed are my brothers? Tell me, my friend," he enquired of the messenger in deep anguish. The messenger quietly replied: "If you so desire, we may turn back." The foul odors of the place were so sickening that for a moment Yudhishthira was minded to go back. But just then, as if divining his intention, vaguely familiar voices rose all around in loud lamentation. "O Dharmaputra, do not go back! Stay here for a few minutes at least. Your presence has given us momentary relief from torture. As you came, you have brought with you a whiff of air so sweet and pure that we have found a little relief in our agony. Son of Kunti, the very sight of you gives us comfort and mitigates our suffering. O stay, be it for ever so short a time. Do not go back. While you are here, we enjoy a respite in our torture." Thus the voices pleaded. Hearing the loud lamentations that thus came from all around him, Yudhishthira stood in painful bewilderment. Overwhelmed with pity at the poignant anguish in faintly remembered voices, he exclaimed:"Alas wretched souls! Who are ye that lament like this? Why are you here?" "Lord, I am Karna," said a voice. "I am Bhima," said another. "I am Arjuna," cried a third voice. "Draupadi," cried another voice in piteous tone. "I am Nakula," "I am Sahadeva," "We are Draupadi's sons," and so on, came mournful voices from all around, till the accumulated pain was more that Yudhishthira could bear. "What sin indeed have these been guilty of?" cried he. "Dhritarashtra's son Duryodhana, what good deeds did he do to sit like Mahendra in heaven, while these are in hell? Am I dreaming or am I awake? Is my mind deranged? Have I gone crazy?" Overwhelmed by anger, Yudhishthira cursed the gods and denounced dharma. He turned to the angel attendant and said sharply: "Go back to your masters. I shall stay here where my dear brothers, for no other sin than devotion to me, are consigned to the tortures of hell. Let me be with them." The messenger went back and conveyed to Indra what Yudhishthira had said.Thus passed the thirteenth part of a day. Then Indra and Yama appeared before Yudhishthira where he stood in anguish.When they came, the darkness rolled away and the horrid sights disappeared.The sinners and their suffering were no more to be seen. A fragrant breeze blew as Yama, the god of dharma, smiled on his son Yudhishthira."Wisest of men, this is the third time I have tested you. You chose to remain in hell for the sake of your brothers. It is inevitable that kings and rulers must go through hell if only for a while. So it was that for the thirtieth part of a day you too were doomed to suffer the pangs of hell. Neither the illustrious Savyasachi(Arjuna) nor your beloved brother Bhima is really in hell. Nor Karna the just, nor anyone else who you thought had been consigned to suffering. It was an illusion designed to test you. This is not hell, but swarga. Do you not see there Narada whose travels cover the three worlds? Cease grieving." Thus said Yama to Dharmaputra, who,thereupon, was transfigured. The mortal frame was gone and he was a god. With the disappearance of the human body, also disappeared all trace of anger and hatred.Then Yudhishthira saw their Karna and all his brothers and the sons of Dhritarashtra also, serene and free from anger, all having attained the state of the gods. In this reunion, Yudhishthira at last found peace and real happiness.

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GAJENDHRA MOKSHA - TALE OF GAJENDRA THE ELEPHANT and GRAH, THE CROCODILE

TALE OF GAJENDRA THE ELEPHANT and GRAH, THE CROCODILE

King Parikshit asked, "Munivar, God had save Gajendra, in His Hari incarnation. I wish to hear this tale."
Shukdev says, " O king, in Tamas Manvantara, God had appeared as Hari and saved Gajendra from the jaws of Grah the crocodile. I am narrating the tale to you listen to it carefully. Surrounded by Kshirsagar, there was a high mountain named Trikuta. In the dense forest on the mountain there lived Gajendra along with his harem of many cows. Gajendra was the king of many big and strong elephants.
One day, Gajendra was passing his time playfully with his family in the forests. It was very hot that day. So, perplexed by the sun, Gajendra descended down the mountain with his family. At the foothills, there was a big lake with deep, cold water and many lotuses blooming in it. Gajendra entered the lake and drank water to his fill. Then he took bath and started to play in the water. His activities in the water disturbed the crocodile who lived there. With anger, the crocodile caught hold of Gajendra's leg. Startled by the sudden attack, Gajendra put all his might to get free but in vain. They only jostled against each other for long. Every moment, crocodile's strengths seemed to be gaining. At last, because of constant pulling into water, Gajendra's strength gave away. Now, he was very desperate and thought that God has sent the crocodile as a noose of Yama (death) for him. This thought horrified the elephant, so he decided to take refuge at Sri Hari.
Gajendra had the memory of his previous birth fresh. So concentrating his mind in the beautiful appearance of God, he began to pray, "I take refuge at God, who is the base of the entire world, who is the ultimate refuge for everyone. It is difficult to unfold the mysteries of His plays. He takes many guises. Not even the sages and the gods know His appearance and glory. May such a Lord protect me. O Lord, your powers are unending. You are gracious to those who take refuge in you. Illusioned by you, this humble creature does not recognize you. O Lord, I am in your refuge."
Shukdev says, "Parikshit, Gajendra had prayed God impartially and unspecifically so other gods did not come to save him. Being the soul of everyone, Lord Sri Hari appeared Himself and saw Gajendra in deep crisis. When Gajendra saw that Lord Sri Hari had arrived on his vehicle Garuda from the sky, he picked a lotus from the lake and raised it in his trunk and said, "O Jagadishwar (God of all world) Narayana, here is a salutation for you." By then Lord jumped down from the Garuda and dragged both of them out of water. Then He tore the jaws of the crocodile by his wheel and saved Gajendra. All the gods, Brahma and Lord Shiva worshiped God and showered flowers on Him.
Previous Births of Gaja and Grah
Killed by the God, the crocodile at once acquired a divine appearance. He was a good-natured Gandharva (demigod) named Huhu, in his previous birth. By the curse of Mahatma Deval, he had to take birth in crocodile form. But now, by the grace of God he was saved and went to his heavenly abode. Gajendra too received salvation by mere touch of God. He too went to the heavenly abode of God.
In his previous birth, Gajendra was a king of Pandya dynasty. His name was Indradyumna. He was a fervent devotee of God. So he had abandoned his kingdom and taken to penance on Malay Mountain. One day he was engrossed in his worship when sage Agastya arrived there with his disciples. For not getting due welcome from the king, Agastya cursed him, "You with a dull mind, who neglect his guests will be born as an elephant." But even in elephant incarnation, and by the virtues of his devotion, Gajendra retained the memory of his previous birth. God appointed him as his courtier and departed to his divine abode riding on Garuda."

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3 births of cursed door Keepers of Lord Vishnu

When the world was good and one day when saptha rishies came for the darshan of the Lord vishnu

then the door keepers and maha bakthas of the Lord vishnu  JAYA and VIJAYA stopped the seven sages from the darshan of the lord vishnu in Anger they cursed that they would born as humans and would go through hard times . 

then lord vishnu himself gave the darshan to saptharishis. rishies where pleased and felt happy , then the door keepers asked lord vishnu that " how can we live as humans without seeing you and serving you " to the lord then Lord vishnu gave them a choice to them " 7 lifes as big devotees of  lord Vishnu " 

or 3 Lifes as enemies of the Lord Vishnu " then the 2 door keepers said " we cant wait for 7 lifes so it is better for us to choose 3 lifes as Enemies"

even as devotees or as enemies they where all the time thinking of Lord and would always chants his name 

Hence those 2 Door keepers where born as follows in 3  births and was killed by lord vishnu incarnations to attain the moksha 

1. Hiranyaksha , hiranya kashyapa- VARAHA, NARA SIMHA AVATAR

2. ravana , Kumba karna- RAMA AVATAR

3.Shishu pala, dhantha vatsala - KRISHNA AVATAR

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The Story Of Ganga

The source of Ganga is at Gaumukh (the shape of the ice formation is like a cow's mouth), where the mighty river emerges from the depths of Gangotri glacier. The Gangotri glacier is situated at the height of4255 m above sea level and is approx 24 km in length and 7-8 km in width.

Here the river is known as Bhagirathi after  King -Bhagirath. Rising in the icy caves of Gangotri glacier, the gushing , tossing and gurgling Bhagirathi starts its long journey downwards where later it joins river 'Alaknanda' and becomes Ganga.There are many legends associated with river Ganga, some of which are even mentioned in the ancient holy scriptures.

The River From Heaven- According to the Indian mythology King Sagar had 60,000 sons. He defeated all the asuras (daemons)  in the earth and wanted to stage a Ashwamedha Yagya to declare his supremacy. As this was the practice prevalent in ancient times, he sent his horse across the earth accompanied by his sons.

The King of Heaven, Lord Indra feared the power of King Sagar and to stop him, he stole the horse and tied it to the ashram of Sage Kapil. When the 60,000 sons saw the horse in Kapil's ashram they got furious and started to attack the hermitage. Sage Kapil was in deep meditation and on hearing the disturbance he opened his eyes in anger and all the 60,000 sons of King Sagar were reduced to ashes, except for prince Asamanjas.

Anshuman the grandson of King Sagar brought  the horse back from the Sage and asked for his forgiveness. Sage Kapil told  him that the sons can be brought to life only if Ganga is brought from heaven to earth. Neither Anshuman nor  his son Dilip were successful in this task.  But Dilip's son, Bhagirath was determined to get this task done. He started meditating intensly for several years and finally Ganga got pleased and descended to the earth. To prevent the earth from flooding, Lord Shiva received Ganga on his matted locks.  King Bhagirath then worshipped Lord Shiva and Shiva blessed him and released Ganga from his locks in seven streams.  The water of Ganga touched the ashes of Sagar sons who rose to the their eternal rest in heaven. The  seven streams of Ganga are Bhagirathi, Janhvi, Bhilangana, Mandakini, Rishiganga, Saraswati and Alaknanda which merge into Ganga at Devprayag. there are totally 12 streams the lord Shiva released .The rock on which King Bhagirath is believed to have meditated, is called Bhagirath Shila and is located near the temple of Ganga. To this date the water of holy Ganga is believed to have Amrit (nectar) in it. It has been studied by Scientists that the water collected from Ganga at its origin is in a pure state and even after being kept for several years, does not get contaminated.. These medicinal properties of Ganga-Jal are attributed to the medicinal secretions of herbs and mineral content which get mixed with the water.

Other Rivers

Bhagirathi

Dhauli Ganga

Girthi Ganga

Rishi Ganga

Bal Ganga

Bhilangna River

Tons River

Alaknanda

Mandakini

Pindar

Nandakini

Five Prayags

Vishnuprayag - Alaknanda meets Dhauli ganga

Nandprayag - Alaknanda meets Nandakini

Karnaprayag - Alaknanda meets Pindar

Rudraprayag - Alaknanda meets Mandakini

Devprayag - Alaknanda meets Bhagirathi

Glaciers

Pindari

This glacier is near the Nanda Khat and other lofty peaks. Its access is very easy and is at an altitude of 3353m. Close to the glacier is an open meadow and lofty moraine made of gravel, mud and blocks of snow. The trek to the glacier starts from Kapkote, which is the last bus terminus. The trekking route is passing through waterfalls, pine forests, meadows and having magnificant views of the peaks.

Gangotri

The gangotri glacier is situated at a height og 4255m. It starts from Chaukhamba cluster of snow peaks near Badrinath and extends to Gaumukh

Khatling

This glacier is a lateral glacier, from the center of which bubbles out the river bhilangana.  It is said that a beautiful Bhil maiden tried to win the love of the meditating Shiva and having been spurned by Him dissolved into liquid, which in turn became the rive Bhilangana. The snow peaks atop the glacier are the Jogin, sphetic prishtwan, kirti stambh, barte kanta, meru etc. The sphetic prishtwan is made of white qurtz which from distance dazzles like cystal white snow The trek of Khatling glacier starts from ghuttu, the last bus terminus. The entire trakking route is studded with dense green forest and delightful meadows, excellent spots for camping, dazzling waterfalls and streams

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