This is a temple where Shiva is said to meditate to allay the pain due to drinking of Kalkut poison that came out of Kalkut poison from Samudra Manthan.
There is no place to sit and meditate. You can go into meditative states here effortlessly.
How to Get there
The temple is located 25.4 kms South East of Rishikesh Bus Station by road. It can also be reached by 8 kms of trek. You can get shared taxis from the bottom of the hill near Ram Jhula.
Map:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/F4Q3QFAHycDYvSJX7
About Shree Neelkanth Mahadev Temple
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Nilkanth, an aspect of Lord Shiva. The temple is about 32 km from Rishikesh in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. The temple architecture is very much influenced by the Dravidian style of temple architecture.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a popular Hindu pilgrimage site. It is surrounded by dense forests and is adjacent to the mountain ranges of Nar-Narayan. It is enveloped between the valleys of Manikoot, Brahmakoot, and Vishnukoot and is located at the confluence of the rivers Pankaja and Madhumati.
According to Hindu sacred texts, the place where the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple[1] currently stands is the sacred location where Shiva consumed the poison that originated from the sea when Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) churned the ocean in order to obtain Amrita. This poison that emanated during the Samudramanthan (churning of the ocean) made his throat blue in color. Thus, Shiva is also known as Neelkanth, literally meaning The Blue Throated One.[2]
As per Shruti-Smriti Puran, Devas and Asuras churned the ocean to obtain Amruta. 14 ratnas were obtained of which one was the “Kalkut” poison capable of destroying the whole world . This was consumed by Lord Shiva making hai throat blue. To allay the effect of Kalkut poison, Lord Shiva meditated for 60 thousand years here at the confluence of Pankaja and Madhumati river beneath the Panchpani tree where the current Garbha Gruh of the temple is constructed.After his penance, Lord Shiva installed the current day “throat” shaped shivaling beneath the Panchpani tree.
Read More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neelkanth_Mahadev_Temple_(Rishikesh)
