Rushimala Hill

      Rushikulya (ऋषिकुल्या) is one of the important rivers of Odisha state. It is the Rishikulya (ऋषिकुल्य) of Mahabharata
       
       The Rushikulya originates at an elevation of about 1000 m. from Rushimala Hills near Matabarhi village of Kandhamal district which is lies within the geographical coordinates of 19.07 to 20.19 north latitude and 84.01 to 85.06 east longitude. It meets the Bay of Bengal at Puruna Bandha of Chhatrapur block.

    The river flows from Daringbadi block of Kandhamal and in Ganjam district it flows through Surada, Dharakote, Asika, Pitala, Purusottampur, Ganjam and finally at Chhatrapur block.

     Only one city Brahmapur is situated in the basin and important towns are Chhatrapur, Ganjam, Asika, Bhanjanagar and Surada.

      Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata/Book VI Chapter 10 Describes geography and provinces of Bharatavarsha. Rishikulya is mentioned in Mahabharata (VI.10.34). ^[8]

      

       In Mahabharat Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 82 mentions importance of Rishikulya as a Pilgrims in verses-(III.82.43)^[9] and (III.82.44) ^[10]....Repairing to Rishikulya and bathing there, and living a month upon herbs, and worshipping the gods and Petri's, one is cleansed of all his sins, and obtained the region of the Rishis.

         This range is mentioned also in the Vishnu Purana, as the source of the Rishikulya river, and as this is the well-known name of the river of Ganjam, the Mahendra mountains can at once be identified with the Mahendra Male range, which divides Ganjam from the valley of the Mahanadi.

       It is 165 km long with the total catchment area is 7700 km2. It covers entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam district of Odisha.

                                                      The Kandhamal Map