The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s11.60

c5.s11.60

Mahendra—The whole range of hills extending from Orissa to the district of Madura was known by the name of Mahendra parvata. It included the Eastern Ghats and the range extending from the Northern Circars to Gondwana, part of which near Ganjam is still called Mahendra Malai or the hills of Mahendra (Raghuvamsa, IV, vs 39, 10). It joins the Malaya mountain (Harshacharita, ch VII). Parasurāma retired to this mountain after he was defeated by Ramachandra. The Rāmāyaṇa (Kishk, ch 67, Lankā, ch 4) and the Chaitanya charitāmṛita apply the name specially to the Eastern Ghats, and the hermitage of Parasurāma is placed by the Chaitanya charitāmṛita at the southern extremity of the range in the district of Madura. The Raghuvamsa (VI, v 51) places it in Kalinga, so also the Uttara Naishadha Charita (canto XII, v 21). The name is principally applied to the range of hills separating Ganjam from the valley of the Mahanadī.