Among the may sumits of the Himalayas. Shata-Shringa was once the abode of Brahma. Just as Kailasa and Indraneela were the abodes of Ishwara and Vishnu re- sportively. Once it so happened that Garuda was flying high up in the skyes holding in his beak a serpent named Durmukha and was searching a place to perch and eat that serpent. Garuda was looking down from this purpose among the trees in the vellies of the Shata-Shringa, when unexpectedly the serpent slipped from beck and fell down on the hills below. Garuda searched for it a long time, but in vain, He became very angry and lifted the whole Shata-Shringa in his bill, along with Brahma and may other Rushis and the two crores of Teertha (holy waters) that were in it and was flying away, Brahma awoke after a while and pressed the hill with the weight of the three worlds. Garuda had come by this time near Gokama. Being unable to sustain the heavy weight, he requested the sage. Agastya was performing Tapashcharya below, to relieve him of the great burden, as he would otherwise inevitably go down and sink in the sea Agastya came to know through Jnanam (internal power of perception) that it was all Ishwara’s will took pity on Garuda and placed the hill in the sea, Brahma also was satisfied that Ishwara so willed it left his Kamandalu on the Shata-Shringa and blessing Garuda with the gift of power to lift even the three worlds, went to Satvaloka. This Kamandalu is the Kamandalu Teertha.
Of the two crores, one crore fell in to the sea and the remaining one crore teethes split on the other side of the hill, and all combining became one Teertha called Kotiteertha (the present big tank Kotiteertha). On the southern bank of this tank may be seen Agastya Teertha Varadeshwara Linga which Agastya founded and the place of his Tapashcharya, close to the same may be seen Garudateertha and Garuda Mantrap where Garuda was performing tapas. Those that perform 4 lakhs of recitations of Gayatri in this mantrap after bathing in the Garudateertha can, it is said obtain success in their depside object. The importance of and the good results accruing from a bath in the Kotiteertha are dealt with at length in the Gokamapuranam.
