Bhubaneswar: Bargarh Lok Sabha Member Pradeep Purohit today demanded for survey of medicinal plants on Gandhamardan Hill range in Odisha.

Raising a question in Parliament on Friday, the BJP MP enquired whether the Centre carried out any survey on Gandhamardan hills in Odisha.

Giving mythological significance on Gandhamardan Hill, he said a survey is required to identify the types of medicinal plants existing on the hill.

Besides, the Ayurvedic College at Paikmal should be given the national status, demanded Purohit.

Replying to the query, AYUSH Minister Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao said that the Centre had conducted a survey on Gandhamardan Hill in the year 2009.

The survey revealed that there are 912 types of herbs, of which 344 were medicinal plants on the hill. The state government had submitted a report about 212 types of trees in the range.

Worth mentioning that the Gandhamardan hill, also known as 'Ayurvedic Paradise', has been designated as a biodiversity heritage site by the Department of Forestry, Environment and Climate Change.

The hill range is a home to several varieties of plant species, animal species, trees, shrubs, herbs and medicinal plants.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Hanuman had carried the Gandhamardan hill on his shoulders from Himalayas to save the life of Laxman, younger sibling of Lord Ram in Tretaya Yug. As per suggestion by Jambavan, the counsellor of Lord Ram in the troop, Hanuman flew to Himalayas to bring Bisalyakarani, a life-saving herb, to save Laxman, who had collapsed during war with Indrajit, son of demon king Ravana in Lanka. As Hanuman could not identify the particular herb, he carried a huge Himalayan mass on his shoulders. While flying in the sky and proceeding towards Lanka, a portion of hill fell down between Balangir district and Bargarh district of Odisha.