Ṛṣikulyā (Rishikulya) is a sacred river issued out of Mahendraparvata. However, according to Viṣṇu Purāṇa (Vishnu Purana), it emerges from Śuktimān (Suktiman) parvata. Visting this tīrtha (tirtha, place of pilgrimage) yields the fruit of Upasad yajña (yajna). People of both Aryan and Mleccha (alien, non-Aryan) community drank the holy water of the river. It shows that this river became a resource to all people, irrespective of caste or class.

Another river called Ṛṣikulyā (Rishikulya) flows across the districts of Ganjam and Kandhamal in Orissa. Its alternative name is Rasikoila. However, many people consider the river Kiyal — emerged from the Śuktimān (Suktiman) hills of Bihar (a hill-range from Raigarh in Madhyapradesh to the district of Singbhum in Bihar)to be identical with Ṛṣikulyā (Rishikulya).

[GD (N. N. Bhattacharyya) p.262; GDAMI (Dey) p.169].