Mountains and Forests

Amarakaṇṭaka is the holy mountain of the Vindhya-Maikāla range where the river Narmadā begins, and where Bhagavān Śiva stilled the flames of Tripura.

The Aśoka Vaṭikā, also called the Aśoka Vana, is the garden in Laṅkā where Rāvaṇa kept Sītā Devī a captive and where Hanumān first met her.

Brahmagiri is the sacred mountain at the source of the Godāvarī (Gautamī), where Bhagavān Śiva dwells as Tryambakeśvara.

Citrakūṭa is the forest mountain on the Mandākinī where Rāma, Sītā and Lakshmaṇa lived early in their exile and where Bharata came to find Rāma.

Daṇḍakāraṇya, the Forest of Daṇḍa, is the great forest of central India that arose from Śukrācārya's śāpa and where Rāma spent much of his exile.

Dārukāvana is the forest āśrama of great ṛshis where Bhagavān Śiva and Bhagavān Vishṇu appeared in disguise; another Dārukāvana was the rākshasa forest of Dārukā.

Dvaitavana is the forest of the Dvaita lake, one of the forests where the Pāṇḍavas lived during their twelve years of exile.

Gandhamādana is the fragrant sacred mountain of the Himālaya, where the Pāṇḍavas lived in exile; another Gandhamādana lies in the Setu-kshetra.

Gomanta Parvata is a peak of the Sahya range where Kṛshṇa and Balarāma met Jarāsaṃdha's army and the divine weapons appeared to them.

Govardhana is the holy mountain of Vraja that Bhagavān Kṛshṇa lifted on his hand for seven days to shelter Gokula from Indra's storm.

Hemakūṭa, the golden peak, is a sacred mountain of the north between Gandhamādana and Meru, home of siddhas and divine beings.

Kailāsa is the divine mountain of Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī, and the place where Śiva taught Nārada the Āhnika.

Kāmyakavana is the forest where the Pāṇḍavas made their main home during their forest exile, and where many great ṛshis visited them.

Krauñca Parvata is the mountain where Kārttikeya lives for ever and where Bhagavān Śiva appeared as the Mallikārjuna jyotirliṅga.

Kumāraśikhara, the peak of Kumāra, is the summit of Mount Meru where Kumārasvāmi (Skanda) lives for ever, and where Vāmadeva Maharshi received his teaching.

Mahendra Parvata is the mountain where Paraśurāma lives in tapas, where he taught Bhagavān Kalki, and where Hanumān began his leap to Laṅkā.

Maināka is the divine mountain, son of Himavān and brother of Pārvatī, who rose from the ocean to give Hanumān a place to rest on his leap to Laṅkā.

Muñjavān is the sacred northern mountain, home of Rudra in the Ṛgveda, where Brahmā practised the pañcākshara and where Marutta's hidden gold lay.

Naimiśāraṇya is the sacred forest where the ṛshis held their long sattras and where Sūta narrated many Purāṇas, and each Purāṇa tells how it got its name.

Nikumbhilā was the sacred grove in Laṅkā where Indrājit did his secret yajñas, and where Lakshmaṇa broke his last rite and slew him.

Nīlādri, also called Nīlācala, is the sacred northern mountain where the immortal crow Kākabhuśuṇḍi keeps his āśrama and tells the Rāmakathā.

The Oshadhi Parvata is the Himālaya peak between Kailāsa and Ṛshabha where four healing herbs grow, brought by Hanumān during the war at Laṅkā.

Paryalī Mahāvana is the great forest on the bank of the Kṛshṇā river where Gajānana, the Dvāpara-yuga avatāra of Gaṇeśa, was born to Pārvatī.

Pāryātra is the forested mountain range where the nishāda robber-chief Kāyavya made his base, as told in the Mahābhārata Śānti Parva.

The Pramadā Vana was a pleasure garden in Laṅkā, separate from the Aśoka Vaṭikā, which Hanumān destroyed after he met Sītā.

Prasravaṇa Giri, also called the Mālyanta mountain, is near Kishkindhā, where Rāma and Lakshmaṇa lived through the four months of the rains.

Trikūṭa is the great mountain in the milk ocean where the Gajendra Upākhyāna took place, with three peaks of silver, iron and gold.

Ujjālaka is the vast sand desert in the maru-deśa where the asura Dhundhu lay buried, and where Kuvalāśva and his sons went to slay him.

Uśīrabīja is a sacred mountain of the north, named in the Vana Parva of the Mahābhārata on the Pāṇḍavas' tīrtha yātrā.

The northern path of the Mahāprasthāna is the last road of the Pāṇḍavas, from the Himavat across a sea of sand toward Mount Meru.

The Vindhya Mountains are the sacred range in Bhārata, near the Revā river, where the four dharma-birds lived and answered Jaimini's questions.

Vṛndāvana is the sacred forest near Govardhana in the Mathurā region, named after Vṛndā and described as the eternal abode of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa.

Janasthāna is a sacred grove and tīrtha in the Daṇḍakāraṇya forest, near present-day Nashik, once Khara's rākshasa stronghold.

Mataṅga Vana is the forest around the āśrama of Mataṅga Muni, where Śabarī waited for Rāma and the animals lived in peace.

Pañcavaṭī, the grove of five vaṭa trees on the Godāvarī, is where Rāma, Sītā and Lakshmaṇa lived and from where Sītā was carried away.

Raivataka, also called Revataka, is the sacred mountain near Dvārakā where the Vṛshṇi and Andhaka clans held their yearly festival.

Ṛshyamūka Parvata is the mountain near Lake Pampā where the vānara king Sugrīva lived safe from his brother Vāli.

Śatasṛṅga, the mountain of a hundred peaks in the Himālaya, is where Pāṇḍu lived in the forest and where the five Pāṇḍavas were born.