In the forested hills above Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, at the meeting of two mountain streams, stands the Neelkanth Mahadev temple, revered as the place tied to one of the most beloved episodes in the worship of Shiva. When the gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan), the deadly halahala poison arose that threatened to destroy creation; to save all beings, Shiva drank it, and held it in his throat — which turned blue, giving him the name Neelkantha, the blue-throated Lord.
Set amid green mountains and worshipped as the site of that supreme act of compassion, the temple draws great crowds of pilgrims, especially through the month of Shravan and at Maha Shivaratri. Neelkanth Mahadev is among the most cherished Shiva shrines of the Garhwal Himalayas.
