Mahendragiri, Odisha – At 5,000 feet high lies amidst the lush green forests

Mahendragiri is at 5,000 feet high and lies amidst the lush green forests, with its unparalleled glory in the Parlakhmundi subdivision of the Gajapati district. The mythological stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata are associated with this Mahendragiri. It was said since a long as once Lord Parshuram used to stay and meditate Lord Shiva for a long time on this mountain; after which he received the Parsu (double-axle) from the God. In the Dwapara Yug, Mother Kunti along with her five sons used to stay here for a certain time during their 12 years of Vanvas (exile); and Bhima used to worship the Lord Shiva here too.  The poets Kalidas and Radhanath Ray has mentioned about this hill in their works.

Places to see at Mahendragiri: The holistic place is famous for the temple of Lord Shiva and Parshuram. There are three other temples on the top of the mountain. These temples are named after the Pandava brothers and their mother Kunti.

Kunti Temple:

The Kunti temple is 30 feet high and is at one end of the flat top the mountain. It is in rekha style. It does not have any plinth. The temple has been plastered with lime after thorough repair. In the side of the place are parsvadevatas like Ganesha, Kartikeya and Pravati. The nabagrahas are in the lintel over the door jambs. The two inscriptions are placed in the 12th century A.D. are there, one to the right of the entrance door and the other on the left side of the temple. Some sculptures and dressed stone slabs lie scattered around the temple.

Yudhisthira  Temple

The Yudhisthira temple rising abruptly from the ground level is in triratha style and is on the other side of the flat top of the mountain. The outer walls are devoid of any sculptural decoration excepting four Chaitya arches. There is no parsvadevata. The lintel of the door contains an inscription of the Chola king Rajendra Chola.

Rising abruptly from the ground level the Yudisthira temple is in triratha style and is on the other side of the flat top of the mountain. The outer walls are not sculpturally decorated excepting four Chaitya arches. There is no parsvadevata. The lintel of the door contains an inscription of the Chola king Rajendra Chola.

Bhima Temple

The Bhima temple, as the scholar assumes is built just after the Gupta period, and is the earliest of these temples. It is made of five huge square sized blocks of stones and has low and squat tower, square sanctum, squat sikhara and flat roof. The doorway is narrow and the walls do not have any niche. In the last tier of the temple lies the amalakasila but the kalasa is absent. There is no sculptural decoration worth mentioning. This temple is often regarded as the Gokarnesvara temple of the place. In addition to these temples, there are three other huts like uncut stone structures arranged in groups.

Nearby attractions at Mahendragiri: It is a quaint tourist destination with no other nearby tourist destination.

Things to do at Mahendragiri: Explore the beauty of the surrounding. The serenity of the place and the sight of the lush green forest will enthral your heart. Besides the art and architecture of the temples are also worth noticing. Mahendragiri takes a gorgeous look on the eve of Maha Shivaratri, when thousand of devotees from around the world travels here and trek onto the peak to worship Lord Shiva on that day. The panoramic Eastern Ghats is also a feast for the eyes.

Best time to place: Mahendragiri can be visited throughout the year.

How to go ?

Mahendragiri is approachable from Behrampur or Bramhapur, which is its nearest railway station. It is approachable by three routes. The first route, the route currently in use, is upto Paralakhemundi, 115 km. from Brahmapur via Ichhapur – Palasa. The second route is from Brahmapur to Paralakhemundi via Digapanandi-R.Udayagiri and Rayagada which runs over a distance of 173 km. The third route is 126 km from Brahmapur via Ichhapur-Jarada-Kaipur and Paralakhemundi.

To go to Mahendragiri one has to go to Paralakhemundi which is about 120 km. from Brahmapur via Palasa( Andhra Pradesh). From Paralakhemundi one can travel by bus for 46 km. i.e. upto Kainpur, 14 km. from Mahendragiri and then to Burkhat pass (5 kms) by jeep and finally proceed to the Mahendragiri hill (10 kms) on foot. Now the communication has improved and one can go upto the foothill by jeep.

Where to stay ?

There is no accommodation facility for the tourists. The nearest places where accommodation is available are Jeranga, where there is an Inspection Bungalow of Works Department and Paralakhemundi, where there is a circuit house, a Works Department Inspection Bungalow and other private hotel.

Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.