Gadiya Mountain, Kanker

Gadiya Mountain is the highest mountain of Kanker. It is a natural fort and was once declared as the capital by King Dharma Dev of the Kandra dynasty. There is a water tank situated on the hilltop which never dries up. The Doodh river flows down the mountains.

There is a legend associated with this tank. The two parts of the tank are known as Sonai and Rupai respectively, which were also the names of the two daughters of the king. It is said that both the daughters fell in the lake and hence, it is named after them as the Sonai Rupai Talab. There is a gold and a silver fish deep under the water, which are said to be alive even today.

A cave called Churi Pagar is situated on the southern part of this tank. The cave can accommodate around 500 people, and it was used as defence from outer attacks. The Jogi caves are situated on the south-eastern part of the mountains. This narrow cave served as a shelter for the monks for meditation purpose. There is also a Sheetla temple located on this mountain.

The festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated on the Gadiya Mountain and thousands of devotees visit here.