Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to submit a proposal for development of the Mahendragiri hill under the Ramayana Circuit of Centre’s Swadesh Darshan scheme.
In a letter dated September 4, he said the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has requested the Government of Odisha to submit a proposal in this regard. However, the State Government is yet to respond.
The Mahendragiri, situated among the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of 1,501 metre in Gajapati district, is associated with the Hindu epic Ramayana as the Mahendra Parvata (Mahendra Mountain).
Describing the significance of Mahendragiri, the second highest peak in Odisha, in mythology, Pradhan wrote, “In Puranas and Ramayana, it is said that Parashurama was meditating on Mahendragiri when Lord Ram broke the sacred bow of Lord Shiva. Legend says Parashurama stays at Mahendragiri eternally and performs Tapasya. Mahendragiri is home to temples believed to have been built by the Pandavas in which the festival of Shivratri is celebrated with great fervour drawing devotees from across Odisha and other States.”
Pradhan said the Mahendragiri has huge potential for development of socio-cultural tourism and creation of many jobs.