Mahendragiri is a mountain in the Rayagada sub – section of the Gajapati district of state Odisha in India. It is located at a height of 1,501 m (4,925 feet) between the Eastern Ghats. After Deomali, it is the second highest peak.
HISTORY:
Mahendragiri is associated with the Ramayana as the mountain of Mahendra pravata. Mahendra Giri is related to the name of Mahendra Parvati from Ramayana. Along with Malay, Sahyadri, Parijatra, Shuktiman, Vindhya and Malavayan, it is a Kul-pravat. The Puranas describe that when Lord Rama broke the sacred bow of Shiva, Parasurama was mediating on Mahendragiri. Mahendragiri is situated in the district of Gajapati of Odisha. The legend says that this is the place where Lord Parshurama, an eternal life, lives for all time and meditates. Parasurama is the sixth incarnation of Vishnu in the Hindu religion and he is one of the chiranjeevis, who will appear at the end of the Kaliyuga as the guru of Kalki, the tenth and last incarnation of Vishnu. He had many characteristics, including aggressiveness, war and heroism; Also, peace, sanity and patience. According to chapter 2.3.47 of Bhagavata Purana, he retired on the Mahendra Mountain. Only Vishnu avatar, who never dies never returns to abstract Vishnu and lives in meditation. Apart from this, he is the only Vishnu incarnation that exists in some of the versions of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata in conjunction with Rama and Krishna. The temples, which are said to have been built by the Pandavas. The primary celebration commended here is Shivratri.
REASION OF BIODIVERSITY HOT SPOT:
Mahendragiri Hill and its encompassing regions are perceived as biodiversity problem areas because of numerous restorative plants and different species found here. A heaven for therapeutic plants, Mahendragiri slopes, which is essential for the Eastern Ghats, is home to more than 600 blooming plants. The biodiversity of this region is very large and is known especially to be a herpetofaunal hotspot.
The ministry of environment and forests, government of India, in 1986, had proposed the state government of Odisha as Mahendragiri hill as biodiversity hotspot area. An expert committee of forest and environment department has also recommended that biodiversity hotspot Mahendragiri hills should be declared as a biosphere reserve in 2014.
The Mahendragiri biosphere save advisory group, which was set up in November 2011, held its last gathering in December, after which it presented its last report suggesting setting up a biosphere reserve at Mahendragiri hill complex.
According to the survey conducted by the Odisha space application centre, core area 42.54 k. m Extends to 2 while the area of the buffer zone is 1577.02. m Transitional zone is estimated to be 3095.76 km 2. The entire biosphere reserve, 4715.32 km is proposed in the area.
