Mahendra

Mahendra (Devanagari: महेंद्र) is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from Maha (Highest Position) and Indra Deva (the King of Gods) from Hindu mythology. For a similar derivative see Mahindra.

Mahendra is used as a given name. Famous people with the name include:

Historical

• Mahendra of Nepal – king of Nepal from 1955 to 1972
• Mahendra or Mahinda – the son of Emperor Ashoka and a promoter of Buddhism
• Mahendra Sūri – 14th century Jain astronomer who wrote the Yantraraja, the first Indian treatise on the astrolabe

Entertainment

• Balu Mahendra – director of Tamil films
• Y. Gee. Mahendra – an Indian dramatist, actor, singer playwright and comedian from the state of Tamil Nadu

Sports

• Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Indian cricketer
• Mahendra Nagamootoo – a West Indian cricketer of Indo-Guyanese ethnicity

Politics

• Mahinda Rajapaksa – President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
• Mahendra Chaudhry – a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party
• Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh – a freedom fighter, journalist, writer and revolutionary social reformist of India

Business

• Mahendra Mehta – chief executive of Vedanta Resources