On the seventh day Lord Shiva took a form of the cock and crowed at midnight. He became frustrated that day by day, because of the fire but not moving his body for the word he gave. He was counting the days with the help of crowing of cocks in the early morning. Lord Trimurtees has started the Yagna., he has bore the fire on his body. SYMBOL SHOWING LORD SHIVA TAKING FORM OF A COCK He developed his etheric-body with his power and slept on earth. That Yagna was conducted on the pious body for seven days. They told that the capabilities of Gayasura can be pre-tested in helping this Yagna. He has to face many vighnas(obstacles) to fulfill his desire. He has to face the sins of all people before giving salvation. Gayasura has asked them to solve this solution, and Trimurthees has told to Gayasura, your body will be the best place for Yagna! They supported their logic with the boon he got from Vishnu and his wish in giving salvation to everybody! And told that this can be considered as a pious challenge to him and that after the Yagna was over, he can continue to grow in height and give salvation freely to all the people. And they told to Gayasura, each and every place on earth has bad incidents in it’s history, so its unfit for their sacred Yagna. Gayasura happily accepted to give the land. Then they told Gayasura, that they are conducting to do a Pavithra Yagna, and they requested land from him. Trimurthis has approached Gayasura as Brahmins. To prevent immoral people from attaining salvation Indra prayed Trimurthis (Lord Brahama, Vishnu and Shiva). Since salvation is achieved through being righteous in one’s lifetime, people started obtaining it easily by seeing Gayasura. He, did a heavy penance and sought a boon that whoever see him should attain salvation (Moksham). The story behind is that during the time of KRUTA YUGA there had been a demon called GAYASURA.
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Vishnu Pada, Gaya Pada shrines are also present here. It is famous for Pinda Pradanam to ancestors. Lord Siva is worshipped here and Shakthi peetam is Purihuthika Devi. PADA GAYA: It is in Pithapuram, East Godavari district. It is also one of the 18 Shakthi Peetams ( GIRIJADEVI) where the naval point of Gayasur is placed. NABI GAYA: This is in Orissa, near Bijapur railway station. This is one of the 18 Shakthi peetas (MANGALYA GOURI) where Gayasur’s head is placed when he liked down for Yagna Here lord Vishnu is worshipped in the form of Gadadhara even today. Three Places are called as sacred places to perform”PINDA PRADANAM” (last rights) of one’s loved ones performed here ensures salvation of their loved ones. KUKKUTESWARASWAMY TEMPLE IS ALSO KNOWN AS PADA GAYA KSHETRAM. This temple is very big and spacious, in temple premises we can see the large deep water pond. PADA GAYA KSHETRAM OR KUKKUTESWARA TEMPLE Kukkuteswara swamy temple is a big premises which has Purahuthika temple, Raja rajeswari Temple, Swayambhuv Datta Temple, Kukkuteswara Temple and newly constructed Sai Temple in the same premises. They are KUKKUTESWARA TEMPLE PREMISES and SRIPADA SRIVALLABHA SWAMY temple. Two main Temples are to be visited at Pithapuram out of many temples. Here the seat place of shakthi has fallen. The mythology says about the falling of parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Lord Shiva took it and wandered. These are shrines that are highly revered by Shaktas(Shaktism). This place is considered as the 10TH SHAKTHI PEETHAM OF THE 18 (ASTHADASA) SHAKTHI PETTHAS. So it is called as PURUHOOTIKA PURAM later changed to PEETHIKAPURAM and finally PITHAPURAM. According to Indian Puranas it is said that after Daksha Yagna Sati Devi’s Organ (LOWER BACK/SEAT PORTION) HAS FALLEN IN THIS PLACE WHILE HER BODY WAS CARRIED BY LORD SHIVA. PITHAPURAM was earlier known as PEETHA PURAM OR PEETHIKAPURAM which means the place bearing the peetha (seat) sthan. Sri Puruhootika Devi, Sri Kukkuteshwara Swamy, Sri Dattatreya Swamy, and Pada Gaya.
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Pithapuram is widely known as a pilgrim centre and a temple of great importance as it has many shrines of important Deities i.e. Pithapuram is also known as Dakshina Kasi (or THE KASI OF THE SOUTH). PITHAPURAM is the famous Datta Kshetra located in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh state in India. Kukkuteswara swamy Devasthanam (Swayambhu Dattatreya temple is also inside this temple)