GANDHAMARDAN HILLS

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Context: The Odisha government has declared the Gandhamardan Hill Range in Bargarh and Balangir district as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS), three decades after a highly successful people’s resistance against bauxite mining there.

Details: 

About:

• Gandhamardan Hills is a hill located in between Balangir and Bargarh district of Odisha, India.
• This hill is well known for medicinal plants.
• There is a Bauxite reserve which is planned for exploration by the state government through a private venture.
• Lord Hanuman is believed to reside here and in the Piduru Mountains in Sri Lanka.

Theology:

• According to Hinduism, Lord Hanuman carried this hill on his shoulders from Himalayas to save the life of Lakshman.
• In the Treta Yug, Sushena (the expert physician from Lanka who was chief of medicines, Shri Hanumana requested him and carried him with his entire palace to the place where Shri Laxmana was lying injured) had suggested Vir Hanuman to bring Bisalyakarani ere dawn, so that Laxman would rise back to life.
• At the northern slope of this hill the Nrusinghanath Temple is located; whereas on the southern slope of this hill is the famous Harishankar Temple.

History:

• Sage Drona residing on this mountain belonging to the Mahabharat period used to deliver art of weaponry to the selected few pupils and he was famous for it across the country.
• Many scholars believe that this mountain (and not Nagarjunakonda) was the site of the monastery of Nagarjuna, which Hiuen-Tsiang referred to as Po-lo-mo-lo-ki-li.

MUST READ: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/yaya-tso

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-declares-gandhamardan-hill-as-biodiversity-heritage-site/article66646261.ece