Mahendragiri Kshetra - Where Sri Parashurama stays eternally and performs penance

• Meditation:

► Mahendragiri: I meditate on the Mahendragiri Parvata where Sri Parashurama stays eternally and performs penance.

• Greatness:

• Mahendragiri (Gajapati district, Odisha) is a puranic kshetra where Sri Parashurama stays eternally and performs penance. After king Kartavirya Arjuna tried to take the divine cow of sage Jamadagni (and hit the sage in the process), Sri Parashurama waged war against the king and slayed him in the battle. Sage Jamadagni told Parashurama to perform penance in Mahendragiri Parvata for expiation of the act. While Sri Parashurama was performing penance in Mahendragiri, the descendants of king Kartavirya Arjuna slayed sage Jamadagni as a revenge. When Parashurama returned from his penance, he took a vow to exterminate the kshatriyas twenty one times (since her mother Renuka Devi beat her breast twenty one times lamenting for the death of her husband). Sri Parashurama waged war against the kshatriyas twenty one times and after each war, returned to Mahendragiri Parvata for penance. Sri Parashurama continues to live in Mahendragiri till today. As destined earlier, Sri Parashurama continued to be the representative of Lord Vishnu till Sri Rama appeared. During the period of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna (in Treta and Dwapara Yugas), Sri Parashurama was mostly behind the scenes and appeared intermittently. In Kali Yuga, Sri Parashurama still continues to live in the Mahendragiri Hill and performs his role from there.

• Sacred Geography:

☗ Mahendragiri Parvat
☗ Arjuna Temple peak
☗ Bhima Temple peak
☗ Jagannath Temple peak

• Puranic Events:

1. Presence of Sri Parashurama in Mahendragiri:
• Sri Parashurama performed penance in Mahendragiri Parvata after slaying Kartavirya Arjuna.
• Sri Parashurama performed penance in Mahendragiri Parvata after destroying the kshatriyas twenty one times.

2. Presence of Lord Shiva in Mahendragiri:
• Mahendragiri has Shiva temples named after the Pandava brothers and mother Kunti. It is said that the Pandava brothers performed penance here worshipping Lord Shiva.

3. Presence of Lord Jagannatha in Mahendragiri:
• Mahendragiri also has a cave temple with a small Image of Lord Jagannatha. This is situated on a separate peak and is known as Daru Brahma.

• Temples (Summary):

Parashurama Kund, Mahendragiri — Parashurama Kund

• Parashurama:
- Parashurama Kund
- Parashurama Image

• Shiva:
- Yudhishthira Shiva Temple
- Bhima Shiva Temple
- Yudhishthira Shiva Temple
- Arjuna Cave
- Kunti Shiva Temple (Gokarneshwara)

• Krishna:
- Jagannatha Cave Temple (Daru Brahma)

• Places to See (Puranic Places mapping):

Presence of Sri Parashurama in Mahendragiri:
• Sri Parashurama performed penance in Mahendragiri Parvata after slaying Kartavirya Arjuna. • Sri Parashurama performed penance in Mahendragiri Parvata after destroying the kshatriyas twenty one times.
► Mahendragiri - Parashurama Kund (Gajapati district, Odisha) Parashurama Kund is a small temple and kund associated with Sri Parashurama. The temple has an image of Sri Parashurama in meditative posture. The kund gets filled with water during the rainy season. Parashurama Kund is located on the way to Mahendragiri in the Tumba village (Patrapur).
► Mahendragiri - Parashurama Image (Gajapati district, Odisha) There is an Image of Sri Parashurama on the Mahendragiri Parvata. This Image is close to the Yudhishthira Shiva Temple.

Presence of Lord Shiva in Mahendragiri:
• Mahendragiri has Shiva temples named after the Pandava brothers and mother Kunti. It is said that the Pandava brothers performed penance here worshipping Lord Shiva.
► Mahendragiri - Yudhishthira Shiva Temple (Gajapati district, Odisha) Mahendragiri Parvata has temples of Pandava brothers and mother Kunti. These are Shiva temples worshipped by them. The Yudhishthira Shiva Temple is one of them and is one of the first temples visited by the pilgrims on reaching Mahendragiri. The Parashurama statue is close to this temple.
► Mahendragiri - Kunti Shiva Temple (Gokarneshwar) (Gajapati district, Odisha) Mahendragiri Parvata has temples of Pandava brothers and mother Kunti. These are Shiva temples worshipped by them. The Kunti Shiva Temple (Gokarneshwar) is one of them and is one of the first temples visited by the pilgrims on reaching Mahendragiri.
► Mahendragiri - Bhima Shiva Temple (Gajapati district, Odisha) Mahendragiri Parvata has temples of Pandava brothers and mother Kunti. These are Shiva temples worshipped by them. The Bhima Shiva Temple is one of them and is situated on a separate peak.

Presence of Lord Jagannatha in Mahendragiri:
• Mahendragiri has a cave temple with a small Image of Lord Jagannatha. This is situated on a separate peak and is known as Daru Brahma.
► Mahendragiri - Jagannatha Cave (Gajapati district, Odisha) Mahendragiri Parvata has a cave with a small Image of Lord Jagannatha. This is on a separate peak and close to the Arjuna cave.

• Puranic References:

• Brahmanda Purana - 21 to 47, 57 to 58 (About Sri Parashurama)

• Location:

• Mahendragiri is located in the Gajapati district of Odisha.

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