The Mahendra Mountains are a mountain range described in the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. They are identified[by whom?] as part of the Eastern Ghats, specifically within the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. They are the place where Bhargava Rama, or Parashurama, spends his days of life, as he is one of the chiranjeevi, meaning he has life up to pralaya. The mountains were visited by Arjuna as part of his pilgrimage.
It is said that Lord Parshurama did penance here, and will do so until the end of Kali Yuga.
The Sahyadrikhanda identifies the Sahyadri mountains as Mount Mahendra, where Parashurama performed his penances.[1]
The puranic mountain Mahendragiri is situated in Paralakhemundi. According to legend, it is the place where Lord Parashurama stays and does tapasya. Temples built by the Pandavas are seen. The main festival here[where?]isShivaratri, the worship of Shiva, the guru or preceptor of Lord Parashurama.
^Rosalind O'Hanlon (2013). "Performance in a World of Paper: Puranic Histories and Social communication in Early Modern India". Past and Present (219). Oxford University Press / The Past and Present Society: 103. JSTOR24543602.
