Mount Mandara, Bhagalpur

Mount Mandara is the name of a mountain which is an integral part of the Samudra Manthan mentioned in the Hindu Puranas. The Puranas have numerous references to various sacred places on the hill which is also believed to be the abode of god Krishna in his avatar of the destroyer.

The major feature of the hill that is worth appreciating is that the mountain is not composed of fragmented stones but is one single structure. The hills abound in inscriptions, statues and many rock cut sculptures depicting Brahmanical images. The hill is important to Jains who believe that their 12th Tirthankara attained nirvana on the summit of the hill.