In the great epic Ramayana, Jatayu is characterized as a noble bird of divine origin. One day he happened to hear the plaintive cry of a lady. It was Sitha lamenting for help while she has being abducted to Lanka by the demon king Ravana. Jatayu rushed to her rescue, stopped Ravana’s chariot named Pushpaka Vimana and engaged in a battle with him. Eventually, Ravana took his powerful sword Chandrahasa, cut off the bird’s left wing and went away with Sitha.It is said that the injured Jatayu and his lost wing landed on top of a rock. In time, the rock got the name Jatayupara. This is where the monumental statue of Jatayu is now built.
There is a pond near the rock which is said to be formed by the stroke of Jatayu’s beak. It has water throughout the year and never goes dry. Legend also says that Lord Rama later came to Jatayupara and gave moksha or deliverance to the wounded and dying Jatayu. The good bird told the whole story and Rama got the vital information about his wife Sitha. There is a mark of footprint said to be that of Lord Rama. A temple dedicated to him can be experienced in an adjacent compound.