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Attractions |
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| There are three temples on the top of Mahendragiri
Hills, which are named after the Pandava brothers and their
mother Kunti. |
| Kunti
Temple
30 feet high, it is at one end of the flat top of the mountain
and in rekha style without any jagamohana or plinth. The temple
has been plastered with lime after thorough repair. In the
side niche are parsvadevatas like Ganesha, Kartikeya and Parvati
AND the nabagrahas are in the lintel over the doorjambs. Also,
two inscriptions of 12th century A.D exist, 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.
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| Yudhisthira
Temple
It rises abruptly from the ground level 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 except
for four Chaitya arches. There is no parsvadevata and the
lintel of the door contains an inscription of the Chola king
Rajendra Chola. |
Bhima temple
It is assumed by scholar to have been built just after the
Gupta period, and is possibly 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
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How to Reach
Mahendragiri is approachable from Brahmapur by three routes.
The first route, the route currently in use, is up to 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.
up to 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 facilities have
improved and one can go up to the foothill by jeep.
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