Gandhamardan Hills

Gandhamardan Parbat is a hill range rising to 1,060 m between Balangir and Bargarh districts of Odisha. Hindu tradition holds that it is a fragment of the Himalayan mass Hanuman carried towards Lanka to find the herb that would revive Lakshmana, part of which dropped here. The Nrusinghanath Temple stands on its northern slope and the Harishankar Temple on its southern slope. Lord Parshuram is believed to live on the hill, and many scholars believe it, rather than Nagarjunakonda, was the site of Nagarjuna's monastery described by Hiuen Tsang, since it shows traces of a large monastic settlement.

The hills are known above all for their healing flora. The Botanical Survey of India has recorded 220 plant species of medicinal value, and local people put the figure at over 500. More than 100 traditional healers live around the range. A bauxite reserve here has been planned for exploration, and a local people's movement has worked to protect the hills' forests.