Malaya Mountains

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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}

The Malaya Mountains were a range of mountains that were mentioned in the Hindu sacred texts like Matsya Purana, the Kurma Purana, the Vishnu Purana,{{cite web | title = The Vishnu Purana: Book II: Chapter III | url = http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp060.htm#fn_390|page=174 | accessdate = 2014-03-26 }} and the epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which is present day Kerala.{{cite book|author=D.C. Sircar|title=Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AqKw1Mn8WcwC&pg=PA243|date=1 January 1990|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0690-0|pages=243–}}{{cite book|author=Diana L Eck|title=India: A Sacred Geography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rNlJOSf__xYC&pg=PA125|year=2012|publisher=Crown Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-385-53191-7|pages=125–}}

The Vishnu Purana specifically mentions it amongst the seven main chains of mountains in Bharata (India), namely Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Śuktimat, Riksha, Vindhya, and Páripátra. According to the Matsya Purana, during the Great flood, the giant boat of King Manu was perched after the deluge on the top of the Malaya Mountains.{{Cite web |url=http://www.vedicyagyacenter.com/vedic-scriptures-files/epic-pdf/MATSYA%20PURANA.pdf |title=The Matsya Purana |access-date=26 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326133426/http://www.vedicyagyacenter.com/vedic-scriptures-files/epic-pdf/MATSYA%20PURANA.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}

These mountains are believed to have formed the southernmost part (southwards starting from the Mangalore region) of the Western Ghats, modern day Kerala, while the Northern part of the same was called the Sahya Mountains. The peaks of these Malaya mountains were said to be higher than those of the Sahya Mounta. Sangam Literature calls these mountains Pothigai.