Gandhamardan Hills Forest, Nrusinghanath: History, highlights and visitor guide

History and context

The story behind Gandhamardan Hills Forest

The Gandhamardan hills have long been a source of medicinal plants for traditional healers. Odisha declared nearly 19,000 hectares of the range a Biodiversity Heritage Site in 2023, after a long local campaign that ended a bauxite mining agreement in 1988.

Useful facts

Gandhamardan Hills Forest facts at a glance

Location

Between Bargarh and Balangir districts, Odisha

Altitude

Up to about 1,060 m (3,480 ft)

Experience type

Protected forest and medicinal-plant area

Known for

Hundreds of medicinal plant species and anti-mining campaign

Time or schedule

Best October to February; access from the two temples

Why it matters

Why Gandhamardan Hills Forest is worth your time

The Gandhamardan hills are one of the most important medicinal-plant areas in eastern India. More than 100 traditional practitioners work in and around the range, serving tens of thousands of people, and the forest also holds streams that feed the farmland below.

In Hindu tradition the hills are a fragment of the mountain Hanuman carried from the Himalaya to bring a healing herb to Lakshmana, which gives the plants a special reverence. Local communities resisted bauxite mining here for decades, and in 2023 Odisha declared nearly 19,000 hectares a Biodiversity Heritage Site. Visiting with care supports that protection.

Highlights

What not to miss

1. 01

   Medicinal plants

   Around 220 medicinal species recorded by the Botanical Survey of India, with local estimates far higher.

2. 02

   Protected status

   Declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site by Odisha in 2023, covering nearly 19,000 hectares.

3. 03

   Ramayana link

   Believed to be part of the mountain Hanuman carried with the healing herb for Lakshmana.

Plan your visit

How to experience it

There is no single entrance to the Gandhamardan forest. Most visitors experience it from Nrusinghanath on the northern slope, walking up the stream path behind the temple, or from Harishankar on the southern slope. The range rises to about 1,060 m (3,480 ft), and the forest between the two temples is crossed by the 16 km pilgrim path.

Walk slowly and look closely. The hills hold a remarkable range of plants: the Botanical Survey of India has reported about 220 medicinal species, and local people say there are more than 500. Traditional healers gather herbs here, and Ayurvedic colleges stand on either side of the range. Species such as Rauvolfia serpentina, known locally as patalgaruda, have become scarce. The forest also shelters around 500 animal species, including 43 mammals and 161 birds.

A local guide from the temple villages can point out plants and paths. Go in the cool, dry months, wear long trousers and closed shoes, and leave everything as you find it.

Know before you go

Timing, access and comfort

Area

Gandhamardan range between Nrusinghanath (Bargarh) and Harishankar (Balangir)

Time needed

An hour on the lower paths to a full day on the hill crossing

Best time

October to February

Walking level

Moderate

Senior comfort

Older visitors can see the forest from the temple areas at Nrusinghanath and Harishankar and on the lowest stretch of the stream path. Going deeper into the hills means long, uneven walking and is not suitable for those with limited mobility.

Tickets and access

No ticket or safari system is published. The area is a Biodiversity Heritage Site under the Biological Diversity Act; do not collect plants and confirm any rules with the forest office.

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