Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

Near Rishikesh, Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand

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Photo: Karmandir, AI illustration

About

Neelkanth Mahadev is a much-loved Shiv temple in the forested hills above Rishikesh, in Pauri Garhwal district. It sits where the small rivers Pankaja and Madhumati meet, between the valleys of Manikoot, Brahmakoot and Vishnukoot. Shiv ji is worshipped here as Neelkanth, 'the blue-throated one', in the form of a Shivling. The temple tower is built in a South Indian style and carved with scenes of the Samudra Manthan. Devotees bathe at a natural spring in the temple complex before darshan, and offer bel leaves, milk, water, flowers and coconut.

The story

When the devas and asuras churned the ocean for amrit, a terrible poison called Halahal came out. It could destroy the whole world, and no one could stop it. To save all beings, Shiv ji drank the poison. The story goes that Maa Parvati held his throat so the poison would go no further. It stayed in his throat and turned it blue, so Shiv ji is called Neelkanth. Devotees believe this happened at this very place. Local tradition also says that, to calm the poison's heat, Shiv ji sat in meditation for a very long time under a tree where the Pankaja and Madhumati meet, and that the sanctum stands on that spot. In Shravan, large numbers of Kanwar pilgrims walk here from Haridwar and Rishikesh to pour Ganga water on the Shivling.

Visiting

The temple is about 32 km by road from Rishikesh via the barrage, or about 22 km from the Ram Jhula side. Keen walkers also take the forest footpath of about 12 km from Swargashram. October to March is pleasant; Shravan and Mahashivratri are very crowded. Nearby are Rishikesh's ghats, Ram Jhula and Swargashram.