Map of Mahabharatha places with the current day locations
1)
Gandhar:
(Sindh
Pradesh,
Rawalpindi)
This is an ancient city of Mahabharata times situated to the west of River Sindhu in Sindhu Pradesh.
Dhritrashtra’s wife Gandhari was the daughter of King Kubal of Gandhar. Gandhari’s brother
Shakuni was Duryodhan’s maternal uncle who defeated Pandavas by fraud in gamble and became
one
of
the
reasons
of
the
war
of
Mahabharata.
2)
Takshashila:
(Rawalpindi,
present
day
Pakistan)
Takshashila was an ancient city of Mahabharata time and capital of Gandhar Desh. Dhritrashtra’s
wife Gandhari was the daughter of King Subal of Gandhar. After the war of Mahabharata when the
Pandavas left for Himalayas, Parikshit was crowned the King. He died due to a snake bite. Then to
take revenge of his death, Parikshit’s son Janmejay performed a “Nagyagya” in Takshashila and had
killed
many
snakes.
3)
Kekaya
Pradesh:
(North
border
of
Jammu
and
Kashmir)
Kekaya Pradesh was an ancient city of the Mahabharata times. Jaysen, the King of Kekaya was
married to Radhadevi, sister of Vasudev. His son Vind was a friend of Jarasandh and Duryodhan. He
wanted to get his sister married to Duryodhan but she loved Krishna and so married Krishna.
During the period of Mahabharata, Kekaya Pradesh was famous for its valorous warriors. Jaysen’s
son
Vind
supported
the
Kauravas
in
the
war
of
Mahabharata.
4) Madra Desh: (Other side of the Himalayas in the North, Jammu- Kashmir)
There was an ancient state on the other side of the Himalayas in the North which was called as
Madra Desh in Vedic times. According to Aitrai Brahmin, since this was located in the North of the
other side of the Himalayas it is also called Uttarkuru. During the time of Mahabharata, Shalya was
the King of Madra Desh. His sister Madri was married to Pandu. Sahadev and Nakul were Madri’s
sons. For the Rajsurya Yagya organized by Yudhishthir, residents of Madra had come with gifts for
Yudhishthir.
5)
Kedarnath:
(Uttarakhand,
Rishikesh)
Kedarnath is the famous and holy place of pilgrimage near Rishikesh. There is famous Shiva temple
here. It is believed that after the war of Mahabharata, when Pandavas came here, Lord Shiva did not
want to give them a glimpse as he thought them to be guilty of killing their brothers and relatives.
So Shiva acquired a form of a buffalo and camouflaged with other animals grazing there but Bhima
recognized him and caught him from his back. The idol of the Kedarnath temple is believed to be
Shiva in the form of a buffalo’s back. The rest of the body is in Varanasi and head is believed to be
in Pashupatinath (Nepal). Kedarnath is considered to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. It is believed
that Pandavas had built this temple. Adi Shankaracharya also had taken his last breath here. His
tomb
has
been
made
near
the
temple.
6)
Badrinath:
(Uttarakhand)
The author of Mahabharata, Maharshi Ved Vyasji’s ashram was in Badrinath. During the exile of the
Pandavas, a demon named Jarasur had taken away the weapons of the Pandavas who had stayed
there. Jarasur also wanted to kidnap Draupadi. He went in the disguise of a Brahmin. By chance
Bhima
came
there
and
with
a
blow
of
his
mace
killed
Jarasur.
Badrinath is a famous place of pilgrimage and is one the Char Dhams (the four abodes/seats
namely- Gangotri, Yamnotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath). It is located between the two mountains
named Nar and Narayan. In between, the River Alakananda flows. In ancient times there was a
dense forest of berries over here. Badri refers to a berry that was said to grow abundantly in the
area, and nath refers to Vishnu.That is why it was named Badrinath. In the temple over here, there is
a black statue of Lord Vishnu seated in Padmasan. During the period of Mahabharata, the
Badrikashram over here had been a spiritual centre for the Rishis and Sages.
7)
Mana:
(near
Badrinath,
Uttarakhand)
Mana Village is just 3 Km from Badrinath and very close to China border. The mythical indications
that the Pandavas had been here and crossed over to some land perhaps over the rainbow are almost
immediately visible. At Mana the Alakananda flows into the Saraswati. And somewhere here -- the
exact location seems to be a mystery -- the Saraswati plunges underground (becomes “Gupt”) and
emerges at the Prayag near Allahabad. There is a cave nearby where Rishi Vyas is supposed to have
written the Ramayan. The Pandavas probably passed this way. As the story goes that the Pandavas
never completed their last journey together. They went on a spree of fratricide and apparently
perished
one
by
one.
Draupadi, they say, was the first to fall and she breathed her last just after having crossed the
Saraswati. Only Yudhishtir of the five Pandavas and his faithful dog managed to reach this point
and
then
ascend
to
heaven.
8)
Karnaprayaag:
(Uttarakhand)
This is the city of Mahabharata period situated at the confluence of the Rivers Pinder and
Alakananda. According to the Skand Purana, Kunti’s son Karna had performed a Yagya (holy
sacrifice) in this city. It was here that Lord Surya had given Karna impenetrable armour, an
imperishable quiver (which is used for keeping arrows) and a boon to be invincible. Karna Prayag
was
famous
as
a
holy
city.
9)
Ujjanak:
(Nainital,
Uttar
Pradesh)
This was an ancient city near Kashipur, Nainital district, Uttar Pradesh. Guru Dronacharya had
taught archery to the Pandavas and Kauravas over here. On Guru Dronacharya’s orders, Kunti’s son
Bhima had established Shivlinga here. That is why this place is also called Bhimshankar. There is a
huge temple of Lord Shiva over here. Few scholars consider this Shivlinga one of the twelve
Jyotirlingas.
10)
Shivi
Desh:
(South
Punjab,
North
border
of
India)
Shivi desh was located on the north border of India in South Punjab. The grandson of the generous
King Ushinar was Shaivya who had got his daughter Devika married to Yudhishthir. In the war of
Mahabharata, Shaivya played a major role of an archer from the side of the Pandavas.
11)
Banganga:
(Kurukshetra,
Punjab)
This is a place of pilgrimage located three kilometers away from Kurukshetra. After being injured in
the war of Mahabharata, Bhisma Pitamah had laid down here on Sharsaiya (bed of arrows). On
being asked by Bhisma for water, Arjun shot an arrow in the ground and a stream of the water of
Ganga came out and went straight into Bhisma Pitamah’s mouth and quenched his thirst.
12)
Kurukshetra:
(Ambala,
Punjab)
Famous as the battlefield of the war of Mahabharata, Kurukshetra is situated forty kilometers to the
East of Ambala city. In ancient times, Brahmaji had organized a yagya here. That time this was an
extensive land area. In those days it was known as the altar for sacrifice of Lord Brahma. Lord
Krishna had revealed the sermon of Gita before the war of Mahabharata at this place. Today a lake
named Brahma Sarovar here is very famous for its glory. At the time of a Solar eclipse pilgrims
from distant places come here to take a dip in this lake. According to the Bhagwat, before the war of
Mahabharata, Lord Krishna along with other members of Yaduvansh had come here for a dip in the
Brahmakund.
13)
Hastinapur:
(near
Meerut,
Uttar
Pradesh)
Hastinapur, located near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh was the grand city of Mahabharata time. This was
the capital of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Hastinapur has witnessed many famous incidences
described in Mahabharata. Here, Yudhishthir lost his brothers and Draupadi along with his wealth in
the game of gamble. Krishna had visited the court of Dhritrashtra being a peace messenger of the
Pandavas. Before the birth of the Pandavas and Kauravas, Bhisma had taken an oath here to not to
marry in life and let go of his right to the throne as his father Shantanu wanted to marry a boatman’s
daughter Satyavati. After winning the war of Mahabharata, Pandavas made Hastinapur as their
capital. According to the ancient description, Hastinapur was also the capital of Bharat (India is
named after him), son of Dushyant and Shakuntala. Hastinapur is also a famous place of pilgrimage
of
the
followers
of
Jain
religion.
14)
Varnavat:
(Near
Meerut,
Uttarpradesh)
It is a city located near Meerut in Uttarpradesh as described in Mahabharata. It was here that
Duryodhan had built a Lakshgriha (wax house) to kill the Pandavas. This city is situated on the
banks of River Ganga. To avoid the war of Mahabharata, Pandavas had asked for five villages from
the Kauravas, Varnavat was one of these five cities. Even today there is a small village here named
Barnava
which
reminds
one
of
the
Mahabharata
periods.
15)
Panchal
Pradesh:
(near
Himalayas,
Uttar
Pradesh)
As mentioned in Mahabharata, Panchal Pradesh was located between the Himalayas and the River
Chamba on both sides of the River Ganga. Once when the King of Panchal got the news of an
attack from the King of Ayodhya, he said that his five (panch) sons only were enough to fight the
war. Since then it was called “Panchal”. During the time of Mahabharata half of Panchal was owned
by King Drupad and the other half was owned by Dronacharya. Draupadi was daughter of the King
Drupad and married to Arjun after he won over her in the Swayamvar. Draupadi was named
“Panchali”
as
she
was
the
princess
of
Panchal.
16)
Indraprastha:
(South
of
present
day
New
Delhi):
Indraprastha was a grand city situated on the South of present day New Delhi. The Pandavas had
established this city after destroying Khandav Van (forest). Vishwakarma, the architect of the devtas
(deities) had designed this city. This city was the capital of the Pandavas. Even today, there is a
small town named Indraprastha which reminds of the ancient town Indraprastha.
17)
Vrindavan:
(Mathura,
Uttarpradesh)
Vrindavan is situated ten kilometers away from Mathura in Uttarpradesh. Vrinda had observed
penance here to attain Krishna, since then this place is known as Vrindavan. Vrindavan is the place
of Lord Krishna’s Bal- leelayen (playful acts done in childhood). Lord Krishna had played Rasleela
with the gopis in Vrindavan. Even today Rasleela is the main attraction of this place. There are
many famous temples here, of which the temple of Bankebihari and Radhavallabh is very famous.
The only events held here are the Shringar (ornamenting) on Sharad Purnima (full moon day of
Ashvin- October or November) and Aarti (praying God with a lighted lamp) on Krishna
Janmashtami.
18)
Gokul:
(Uttar
Pradesh)
Gokul is situated on the banks of River Yamuna, eight kilometers away from Mathura. To protect
Krishna from Kans, Vasudev had left Krishna at his friend Nandrai’s house in Gokul. Krishna and
his elder brother Balram were brought up in Gokul. Shri Krishna revealed the sermon of Gita to
Arjun before the war of Mahabharata and became Arjun’s charioteer during the war. Balram taught
the
art
of
mace
fight
to
Bhima
and
Duryodhan.
19)
Barsana:
(Uttar
Pradesh)
Barsana, 21 km from Govardhan Mountain, has four hilltops that represent the four faces of Brahma
the Creator. Each hilltop is associated with some incident from Krishna's life. On Mor Kutir top, he
danced guised as a peacock to win the love of Radha. Radha’s parents lived in Barsana. The house
of Radha's father is atop the Brahma Hill in Barsana. On this site is the Larily Lal (an endearing
name
for
Radha)
temple.
20)
Mathura:
(Uttar
Pradesh)
Located on the banks of the River Yamuna, Mathura was a famous place of pilgrimage during
Mahabharata period. In the Dwapar Age, the Kshatriyas of King Shursen’s lineage made this as
their capital. Shri Krishna was born here. Shri Krishna killed the oppressor Kans, son of King
Ugrasen and got back Ugrasen his throne. After the fight in between the Yaduvanshis, when the
Yadavas were killed, Yudhishthir crowned Brijnath, great grandson of Krishna the King of Mathura.
21)
Angadesh
(Malini
Nagari):
(Gonda,
Uttar
Pradesh)
Malini Nagari was the capital of an ancient region of the Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh.
Duryodhan had throned Karna the King of this state. Duryodhan had received this state as a gift
from Jarasandh. The capital Malini Nagari is a Shaktipeeth. According to the Puranas, Sati’s right
hand
after
being
cut
by
the
chakra
of
Vishnu
had
fallen
here.
22)
Naimisharanya:
(Uttar
Bharat)
Near the Gomati Station of Northern Railway, on the banks of the River Gomati is situated a place
of pilgrimage named Naimisharanya. There are lot of praises about this place found in Mahabharata
and Puranas. According to an ancient story, to find out the right place to perform a Gyansatra
(sacrifice) Saint Shonak swirled the Chakra given by Lord Brahma. Brahmaji had said that on
swirling the Chakra, wherever the circumference of the wheel will fall, that place will be the perfect
place for the sacrifice to be performed. The circumference of the Chakra fell in a Tapovan (a forest
in which ascetics perform religious austerities) on the banks of the River Gomati and became
famous
as
a
place
of
pilgrimage.
Here only at the time of the Yagya of Shonak Rishi, Ugrashruva said the story of Mahabharata.
During the time of the war of Mahabharata, Balram had also visited this place while going on a
pilgrimage. It is considered auspicious to circumambulate Naimisharanya. There are many famous
places of pilgrimage of which Chakratirth is very famous. There is a lake in Chakratirth whose
centre is round in shape and this is the main place of pilgrimage.
23)
Kaushambi:
(Uttar
Pradesh)
Kaushambi was the capital of Vatsa desh during the Mahabharata period and situated to the south of
River Ganga near present day city of Allahabad. The residents of Vatsa desh had supported
Kauravas in the war of Mahabharata. Later, Kuruvanshis took over this state. Parikshit’s son
Janmejay
had
made
Kaushambi
his
capital.
24)
Kashi:
(Uttar
Pradesh)
The ancient city of Mahabharata period, Kashi was famous as the chief education centre of India.
Bhisma Pitamah had won over Amba, Ambika and Ambalika, the three daughters of Kashi King.
Bhisma wanted to get them married to Vichitravirya. Amba was in love with Shalya, brother of
Shishupal, so she refused to marry Vichitravirya. So Ambika and Ambalika were married to
Vichitravirya. Dhritrashtra was Ambika’s son and Pandu was Ambalika’s son. Dhritrashtra’s sons
were called Kauravas and Pandu’s sons were called Pandavas. The war of Mahabharata was fought
between
the
Kauravas
and
the
Pandavas.
25)
Ekachakranagari:
(Aarah,
Bihar)
During the period of Mahabharata, Aarah was known as Ekachakranagari. After being saved from
the Lakshgriha, Pandavas had lived in Ekachakranagari for few days at a Brahmin’s house. Every
day one person was being sent from Ekachakranagari for the food of a giant named Bakasur. One
day, it was this Brahmin’s turn where Pandavas were staying. To save the Brahmin, Bhima went to
Bakasur in place of him and killed him. It was here only that Bakasur’s son Bhishak had caught
hold of the horse of Yudhishthir’s Ashvamedh Yagya and later was killed by Arjun.
26)
Magadh:
(South
Bihar)
The ancient name of present day South Bihar was Magadh. During the time of Mahabharata,
Jarasandh ruled Magadh. Asti and Prapti, two daughters of Jarasandh were married to Kans. After
Krishna killed Kans, he became an enemy of Jarasandh. Jarasandh attacked Mathura many times.
For the Rajsurya Yagya performed by Yudhishthir, Krishna, Arjun and Bhima went to Magadh in
the disguise of Brahmins and Bhima killed Jarasandh while wrestling. In the war of Mahabharata,
the
residents
of
Magadh
had
supported
the
Pandavas.
27)
Pundrudesh:
(Bihar)
A part of Bihar was known as Pundru Desh during the time of Mahabharata. The King Pondrak of
this region was a friend of Jarasandh and thought himself to be Krishna. He used to dress up like
Krishna. He used to make himself famous in the names of “Vasudev” and “Purshottam”. He was
present at the Swayamvar (a choice made by a princess of her husband in public) of Draupadi. Due
to his ego, he challenged Krishna to discard his dress or else get ready for a fight. Krishna fought
with him and killed him. According to one more mention, when Jarasandh attacked Mathura,
Pondrak was with him. Later he attacked Dwarka and was killed by Krishna there.
28)
Pragjyotishpur:
(Gowhati,
Assam)
The capital of ancient Assam state, Pragjyotishpur was located near present day Gowhati. During
the Mahabharata times Narkasur was the King of this state. He had made sixteen thousand girls his
captive. He fought a battle with Lord Krishna. Shri Krishna killed Narkasur and took all the sixteen
thousand girls to Dwarka and married them. Later, Bhagdutt, the ruler of Pragjyotishpur fought the
war of Mahabharata from the side of the Kauravas and was killed by Arjun. Here, near the
Neelkanth Mountain is the famous temple of Kamakhya Devi built by Narkasur.
29)
Kamakhya:
(Assam)
Kamakhya was a famous Shaktipeeth city, ten kilometers away from Gowhati in Assam. During the
time of Mahabharata, Narkasur had built here a temple of Kamakhya Devi. According to Bhagwat
Purana, when Lord Shiva was roaming around like a man in despair with the dead body of Sati, then
Lord Vishnu with the help of his Sudarshan Chakra (a divine discus which swirls around his index
finger), cut Sati’s dead body into pieces and dropped them one by one, so that Shiva gets released
off this weight and returns to being normal. There were fifty one pieces of the dead body of Sati cut
by Lord Vishnu and the places on the earth where they fell are known as Shaktipeeth. Each
Shaktipeeth is connected with one of the body part of Sati. Kamakhya in Assam is where the Yoni
(vagina) of Sati fell and is considered a very powerful centre of Shakti (female) worship. Kamakhya
is
worshipped
by
the
Tantriks
(spiritual
person).
30)
Manipur:
(East
India)
Surrounded by Nagaland, Assam, Mizoram and Burma, Manipur was the ancient city of
Mahabharata times. Manipur’s King Chitravahan had a daughter named Chitraganda. She was
married to Arjun and had a valorous son named Babhruvahan. After King Chitravahan died,
Babhruvahan was crowned the King of Manipur as Chitravahan did not have any son. Babhruvahan
had
taken
part
in
the
Rajsurya
Yagya
performed
by
the
Pandavas.
31)
Sindhu
Desh:
(SindhPunjab,
Mohan-jo-Daro)
The ancient Sindhu Desh of Mahabharata time was famous for art-literature and commercebusiness. The King Jaydrath of Sindhu desh was married to Dushaala, daughter of Dhritrashtra. In
the war of Mahabharata, Jaydrath supported the Kauravas. Jaydrath was the chief reason of the
death of Arjun’s son Abhimanyu who was caught up in the Chakravyuh. To take revenge of
Abhimanyu’s
death,
Arjun
killed
Jaydrath.
32)
Matsya
Desh:
(North
Rajasthan)
Matsya Desh located in the North region of present day Rajasthan was one of the chief states of the
Mahabharata times. Its capital was Viraatnagari. Pandavas had lived here at the King Viraat’s palace
in the disguise for one year as they were to live incognito after the exile. During this time, King
Viraat’s brother-in-law and commander Kichak set a bad eye on Draupadi and was killed by Bhima.
Arjun’s son Abhimanyu was married to King Viraat’s daughter Uttara. There is a mention of Matsya
Desh
even
in
the
Vedic
times.
33)
Muchhkand
Tirth:
(Dhoulpur,
Rajasthan)
In the times of Mahabharata, there was a dangerous mountain range in Dhoulpur, Rajasthan. After
winning over Mathura, when Kaalyavan followed Krishna, Krishna hid himself in a cave in this
mountain range and covered Muchhkand who was sleeping there with his Pitambar (yellow cloth).
Kaalyavan woke up Muchhkand and moment Muchhkand set his eyes on Kaalyavan, he was
reduced to ashes. After the war of Mahabharata when the Pandavas left for Himalayas and after
Krishna’s
departure
to
Golok,
Kalyug
first
stepped
here.
34)
Patan:
(Mehsana,
Gujarat)
Patan, situated near Mehsana, Gujarat was a famous commercial city in the Mahabharata period. It
is said that in the Dwapar Age there was Hidimbvan around this city. During the period of their
exile, the Pandavas had come here and it was here only Bhima killed a demon named Hidimb and
married
his
sister
Hidimba.
35)
Vardayini
Dham:
(Rupalnagar,
near
Kalol,
Gujarat)
Rupalnagar was known as Rupavati during the time of Mahabharata. While going to Viraatnagari,
Pandavas had performed a pooja of Bhagwati Arya over here. As this place was blessed by the
Pandavas, the Devi was named Vardayini and the place was named Vardayini Dham. There is a very
big temple of Devi Bhagwati over here and devotees in many numbers come to this temple.
36)
Dwarka:
(Gujarat)
This is situated on the west coast of Gujarat and is an ancient city of the Mahabharata period. To
protect the Yadavas from on and off attacks of Jarasandh, Lord Krishna shifted his capital from
Mathura to Dwarka. In fact, there are two Dwarka cities. One is on the banks of River Gomati
where Krishna settled the Yadavas and carried on the administration work of the state from there
and the second one Bet Dwarka where the citizens resided. Marine Archeologists have found the
sunken remains of Bet-Dwarka off the coast of Gujarat. It is estimated to be a couple of thousand
years
old.
37)
Prabhas:
(west
coast
of
Gujarat)
This is the famous place of pilgrimage located on the west seacoast of Gujarat. Dwarka is also
located within this region. During the Mahabharata period, when Krishna shifted his capital from
Mathura to Dwarka, he resided in Prabhas region. It was here only that the Yaduvanshis fought
amongst themselves and died. It was in Prabhas that Lord Krishna was injured with the arrow of a
hunter and left for his heavenly abode (Golok). After Krishna’s departure the whole area along with
Dwarka sunk in the sea. Modern marine –archeologists have found remains of this old city from
under
the
sea.
38)
Avantika:
(Ujjaini,
Madhya
Pradesh)
The present city Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh was famous in the name of Avantika or Avanti during
the Mahabharata period. Rishi Sandipani’s ashram was in Avantika. Lord Krishna and Balram had
taken their education (archery and use of weapons) from Sandipani. Avantika is considered one of
the seven holy cities of India. There is Mahakal Ling here, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord
Shiva.
That
is
why
Avantika
is
also
called
the
city
Of
Mahakal.
39)
Chedi:
(Gwalior
region,
Madhya
Pradesh)
Located between the River Ganga and Narmada in Madhya Pradesh, the city of Chedi was a grand
city of the Mahabharata time. Shishupal, the King of Chedi was the maternal cousin of Shri
Krishna. Shishupal wanted to marry Rukmani but Krishna abducted her and got married to her.
Because of this, Shishupal always remained angry with Krishna. While performing the Rajsurya
Yagya, when Yudhishthir wanted to give Krishna chief position, Chedi King Shishupal scandalized
Krishna and told him all sort of words. At this, Krishna killed him. During the war of Mahabharata,
the
residents
of
Chedi
supported
the
Kauravas.
40)
Shonitpur:
(Itarasi,
Madhya
Pradesh)
Shonitpur, a famous city during the Mahabharata time, was located near Suhagpur few kilometers
away from Itarasi in Madhya Pradesh. This ancient city was the capital of Banasur. Banasur’s
daughter Usha was married to Aniruddha, grandson of Lord Krishna. There is a temple of Lord
Narsinha
and
is
considered
to
be
a
place
of
pilgrimage.
41)
Vidarbha:
(Vidarbha
Pradesh)
King Bhismak of Vidarbha, capital of Vidarbha Pradesh was a valorous person. At the time of the
Surya Yagya organized by the Pandavas, he had captured the horse of the yagya. Due to this there
was a fight between him and Sahadev and he was defeated. Bhismak was Jarasandh’s friend and
considered Krishna as his enemy. Shri Krishna had kidnapped his daughter Rukmani and married
her.
42)
Yayaatipur:
(Cuttack,
Orissa)
Orissa’s present region Jajpur was known as Yayaatipur in the times of Mahabharata. The River
Vaitarni flows from near this region. Pandavas, along with Maharshi Lomesh had offered Pind -dan
(oblation of cooked rice to the manes- i.e. the spirit of those who are dead) to their ancestors over
here. According to an ancient description, Brahmaji had performed ten Ashvamedh Yagya on the
banks of River Vaitarni due to which this place became famous as a holy city.
Mountains
of
Mahabharata
period
A)
Himalayas:
(border
of
North
India)
This is the tallest Mountain of India. It is spread over from Kashmir in the North to Assam in the
East. After the war of Mahabharata, the Pandavas had been on to the Himalayas and left for their
heavenly abode from here. It was here only when Yudhishthir sat on the divine chariot to leave for
the heaven, he met Lord Indra. According to the ancient stories, Himalaya is the father of Parvati
and father-in-law of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva’s abode Kailash Parvat is also located here. River
Ganga
is
famous
as
the
eldest
daughter
of
Himalaya.
B)
Indrakil:
(one
of
the
mountains
of
Himalaya
Ranges)
Mandarachal, one of the mountains of the Himalayan range is also called Indrakil. After loosing
everything in gamble, when Pandavas went to the Himalayas for penance, Arjun had performed
deep penance on the Indrakil Mountain. It was on this Mountain, Lord Shiva in the disguise of a
hunter fought with Arjun. On being pleased with valor of Arjun in the fight, Lord Shiva presented
him
Pashupat
Astra.
C)
Govardhan:
(near
Mathura,
Uttar
Pradesh)
Govardhan Mountain is forty kilometers from Mathura. Krishna is credited to have held aloft this
hill as a canopy. This was done in order to vanquish the pride of the rain god, Indra. After Krishna
protected the inhabitants of Vraj Vrindavan from the wrath of Indra, he counseled them to worship
Govardhan hill and they did by way of a Puja (worship) and a Parikrama (circumambulation)
around the hill. Thus, a festival in commemoration of the lifting of Mount Govardhan by Krishna
came into vogue as 'Govardhan Puja' when Mount Govardhan is worshipped, the day after
Deepawali (festival of lights) is celebrated. Pious people keep awake the whole night and cook 56
(or 108) different types of food for the bhog (the offering of food to God) to Krishna. This
ceremony is called 'ankut' or 'annakuta' which means a mountain of food.
Govardhan Parikrama (circumambulation — going 38 kilometers (24 mi) around the hill) is a
sacred
ritual
performed
by
many
believers
as
spiritual
purification.
D)
Vindhyachal:
(Central
India)
Located in the central India, Vindhyachal Mountain was an inaccessible Mountain in the
Mahabharata time. According to the story of Mahabharata, once egoistic Vindhyachal asked Lord
Surya to circumambulate him and when Surya refused to do so, Vindhyachal lifted himself higher
than Surya (Sun) and hindered the way of Lord Surya. Then on the devtas’ request Rishi Agastya
went to Vindhya. When Vindhyachal bowed to Agastya he blessed him asking him to remain bent
till he came back. Agastya went away in the South and never returned. Since then Vindhyachal is
standing
bent.
E)
Revatak:
(near
Junagadh,
Gujarat)
The Revatak Mountain near Junagadh in Gujarat is also known as Girnar. This Mountain is near
Dwarka. Arjun had abducted Subhadra from near this Mountain and later with Krishna’s approval
married her.