Rest of Odisha · Sacred peak of the Pandavas
Mahendragiri
A 1,501-m peak in Gajapati with ancient granite temples attributed to the Pandavas on its summit, cloud forest, rare orchids and the Saora tribal heartland below.
History & legend
Mahendragiri is mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata; Parashurama is said to have meditated here, and the summit temples — Kunti, Bhima, Yudhisthira and Arjuna — are 8th–12th-century Kalinga shrines built in a monolithic style unique to the region. The Eastern Ganga kings, whose capital Kalinganagara lay nearby at Mukhalingam, patronised the site. It was a British survey trigonometric station and was declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site by Odisha in 2020 for its 1,358 plant species.
Timings
Sunrise to sunset · trek permit from forest office
Best time to visit
November–February · Shivratri mela
Entry fee
Free · guide ₹500
Approx. cab from Puri (one way)
₹6,000 · 240 km × ₹25/km
Don't miss
- Kunti, Bhima & Yudhisthira temples
- Cloud forest & orchids
- Shivratri mela
- Saora paintings in villages
Local tip: The 8-km trek from Burakhat is steep — hire a Saora guide and start by 6 AM.
On the map
