22/12/2019
3 The Sacred Mountain of Mahendra
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โ Mount Mahendragiri, Odisha, India
Mahendragiri, is a mountain peak at in the Paralakhemundi (or Parlakimidi) subdivision of the district of Gajapati, Odisha, India. It is situated amongst the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of 1,501 metres.
The Mahendra mountain is associated with east direction which clearly says that it is non other than Eastern Ghats. It is associated with mythological stories from the Ramayana as Mahendra Parvata (mountain). It is a 'Kula Parvata' along with Malaya, Sahyadri, Parijatra, Shuktiman, Vindhya and Malyavaan. In the Puranas and Mahabharata that Parashurama practiced penance for a long time on the Mahendra mountain.
The epic mountain Mahendragiri is situated in Gajapati district, Odisha. Legend says that it is the place where Lord Parashurama, a chiranjeevi staying eternally and doing tapasya. Temples built by Pandavas are seen. The main festival observed here is Shivaratri.
โท Mount Lawu (Wukir Mahendra - Mahendragiri), Java, Indonesia
Mount Lawu, or Gunung Lawu, is a massive compound stratovolcano straddling the border between East Java and Central Java, Indonesia. The north side is deeply eroded and the eastern side contains parasitic crater lakes and parasitic cones.
Its old name was Wukir Mahendra or Mahendragiri, some believe the top of the mountain was the first kingdom on the island, the dwellers were Devas descending from Kahyangan (heaven), upon seeing an empty beautiful place like a paradise.
It was the retreat of King Bravijaya V, the last king of Majapahit Empire in the 14th century. It has also a strong spiritual traditional relation with the rulers of Mataram Kingdom II and the Karaton (palace) of Surakarta and Yogyakarta.
Mt. Lawu has a strong power to attract supernatural and archaeology tourists. Many ancient temples in Mt Lawu, such as Sukuh Temple (Similiar with Mayan and Aztec Pyramid in Mesoamerica), Cetho Temple, Kethek Temple, Sadon, etc.
In Javanese Mythology, Mount Lawu is a mountain brought by Deva from India as a peg of the island of Java so that the island is stable and there is no earthquake.
โธ Phnom Kulen (Mahendraparvata), Siem Reap, Cambodia
Koulen, Phnum Kulรฉn or Koulen Mountain, meaning "Mountain of Lychees" is a mountain range and a part of Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.
Its old name was Mahendraparvata or Maha Indra Parvat. The name Mahendraparvata means "Mountain of the Great Indra". It is derived from the Sanskrit words เคฎเคนเฅเคจเฅเคฆเฅเคฐ (Great Indra, a title of the Hindu Deva Indra) and เคชเคฐเฅเคตเคค (mountain) and is a reference to the sacred hill top site commonly known as "Phnom Kulen" today where Jayavarman II was consecrated as the first king of the Khmer Empire in 802. The name is attested in inscriptions on the Angkor-area Ak Yum temple.
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