One of the well-renowned temple of Rishikesh, Neelkanth Mahadev temple is the shrine of Lord Shiva, located at the height of 1675 meters. Situated at the snow-covered mountains among forests, it is about 12 km away from Rishikesh. Visitors experience a lot of thrill while going to this temple because on the one side of the steep and narrow roads, they can have the stunning views of the flowing river.
As per the Hindu Mythology, Neelkanth Mahadev (Lord Shiva) drank up the venom that was churning out of the ocean. This venom appeared from “Sagar Manthan”. He did this to save the world from destruction and evil. Due to his super power, the venom did not enter his body and was reserved in the throat only. The poison turned his throat blue because of which he was given the name of Neelkanth.
Mainly, two religious festivals are organized here- the first one on the Shivratri and another during the month of Shravan (July-August). People in the large number visit there with a devoted heart, make offerings of flowers, coconut, honey, milk and fruits to the Lord Shiva and take a holy bath in the natural spring of the temple.