Naimisaranyam the holy land.

Land of stories.
It is said that Balarama once came to Naimisaranyam. one rishi by name Romaharshana on seeing Balarama commented that Balarama was one who had not got completge control over the senses and that he very often adopted a non compromising a stand on most matters. angered by this Balarama is said to have hit the rishi with a blade of dharba grass. this was thought to be an unforgivable sin, to atone for this he undertook a decision to go for one whole year on a pilgrimage. After which he returned to Naimisaranyam. A demon by name Vilvalan was making life of the rishis there miserable by not allowing them to pray in peace nor perform yagas. they approached Balarama for help and Balarama is said to have killed Vilvalan.The rishis were overjoyed and crowned Balarama.
Sri Rama is also said to have performed 10 asvameda yagas here.

Story of Gaya.

There is another tale related to the place mentioned in the Virajadevi story. Once there was an asura named Gaya. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. He prayed to the Lord that he should not be killed by anyone other than the Trimurthis.

He was also given the opportunity to rule the three worlds. Afraid of losing his place among the devas, Indra complained to the Trimurthis that people and the sages were finding it difficult to perform their yagnas peacefully under Gayasura’s rule and that the demon should be vanquished soon.

The Trimurthis assured Indra that they would tackle Gayasura. The met Gayasura in the disguise of three Brahmins. They told Gayasura “Oh Asura! There has been no rain in the earth for a long time and the lands are parched. So we plan to do a yagna for seven days on a pure part of the earth, which we believe is on your own body.” Gayasura gladly agreed to the idea of performing the yagna on his person.

However, the Brahmins told him that for those seven days he should lie supine on the ground without moving a bit. If he did move a little, they would be forced to kill him. Gayasura agreed.

While lying supine Gayasura is said to have increased in size, His head was in Gaya in Bihar, navel was in Jajpur in Orissa and legs extended up to Pitta puram in Andhra Pradesh.

Vishnu did his yagna on the head of Gayasura, Shiva performed his yagna on his legs and Brahma on his stomach. With the beginning of the rooster crowing at dawn on a Sunday the first day of the yagna began. It went on for six days without interruption. On the end of the sixth day Indra reminded the Trimurthis that if the yagna went smoothly they would not be able to kill Gayasura. So on the seventh day during the yagna, Shiva crowed like the rooster. Gayasura thought that the seventh day was over and stirred. The Brahmins immediately told him that their yagna was not complete and the day was not yet over and that they would now have to kill him. Gayasura knew now that the Brahmins were none other than the Trimurthis and he was happy that he would die in their hands.

He agreed to be killed and urged them to give him a boon. He requested them to declare the places where the yagna was done on his person, would be places of worship and that people could pray there for the well being of their ancestors.