Rishikesh Live

Neelkanth, a sweet example of complete natural hill heaven lies adjacent to mountain ranges of the Nar-Narayan, with beauty and religious importance Neelkanth attracts never ending flow of devotees and nature beauty lovers through out the year.

Neelkanth temple Located 5,500 ft above see level. Neelkanth Mahadev is one of the most revered temples of Rishikesh. Neelkanth Maha Dev Temple is considered to be one of the most famous temples and situated on the confluence of the Madhumati and Pankaja rivers, about 12 km from Rishikesh. With temples at almost every fold of the Himalayan Range, Hindu mythology is closely associated with most of these temples. The temple of Neelkanth Mahadev is associated with Lord Shiva, and he is the presiding deity.

According to Hindu mythology it was the place where Shiva drank up the venom (which emanated during the ' Samudra Manthan') churned out of the ocean, to save the world from the evil, death and destruction. It is said that Lord Shiva had the immense capacity to stop the venom from entering his body and thus reserved it in his throat forever. The poison did not harm him but turned his throat murky blue, thus giving Shiva the name of Neelkanth. It is believed that the event occurred here in this place where the temple is located.

The temple of Neelkanth Mahadev is situated at a distance of 12 km from Rishikesh among the snow capped mountains and forests. Rishikesh holds immense importance in the religious lives of devout Hindus.

The temple holds two fairs; one during the occasion of Shivratri and another in the month of Shravan (July-August). Thousands of devotees throng during Shivratri. From the Neela Kantha temple you can climb 2 kms. to the Parvati temple, located on top of a high hill. Another 2 kms. further up the hill is a Cave (gufa), where there is a small temple. There are good views along the way. It is a fairly hard climb to the Parvati temple and a fairly easy walk to the cave.

Rishikesh is one of the favorite tourist spots for the adventure lovers as well, since tourists looking forward to trekking in the rugged mountain ranges enjoy immensely. Challenging white water rafting is also another of the adventures sports in foaming rivers of Himalayas. The 12 km. trekkable road (from Rishikesh to Neelkanth Temple) is surrounded by dense forests, a sight every trekker would love to behold.

Timings: 7 am – 8 pm