Neelkanth Mahadev Temple - Combination of Mythology & Adventure

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is located about 27 KM from Rishikesh in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India.

According to Hindu mythology, during a fight between Gods and Daemons, they churned the ocean in order to obtain nectar. But during this churning, the poison was emanated from the sea. Lord Shiva consumed this poison, which made his throat blue in color. Thus, Lord Shiva is also known as Neelkanth (meaning: The Blue Throated One). This temple was built on the same location, where Lord Shiva drank the poison.

The temple is situated between the valleys of Manikoot, Brahmakoot and Vishnukoot mountains and at the confluence of the two rivers Pankaja and Madhumati.

Altitude:

The temple is located at 1330 meters above sea level and one of the most scenic place near Rishikesh

Season for travelling:

The temple can be visited throughout the year. Especially during the month of shraavan (which comes in July), thousands of devotees visit this temple. During winter, there are not many tourists visiting the Rishikesh town.  There are very beautiful scenic views along the route. The best time to visit rishikesh is in the months of November-March, though January is pretty cold here. Dense fog is observed only for few days. Otherwise during daytime, one can expect bright sunny days.

How to reach there:

Route 1:

• From the Laxman Jhula Taxi Stand, near 13-storey temple there is a road to reach the temple.
• If you are at Ram Jhula area, there is another Taxi Stand behind Van Prashtha Ashram (the road adjacent to the ashram leads to the Taxi Stand). The Taxi Stand is about 10 minutes walking distance from Parmarth Niketan Ashram.

Route 2:

At the Taxi Stand behind Van Prashtha Ashram, there is a road towards Bairaj. You have to walk about 1 KM on that road and there comes the point, where one has to climb up the hill for about 8 KM to reach the temple. This route is in the forest area, so one may encounter leopards & wild elephants. So you are advised to go via this route only in the month of Shraavan, when thousands of devotees visit this place. Never go alone on this route inside the forest area.

Preferred Vehicles:

• Motor bikes/Private cars, if you are travelling alone or couples, there are many scenic views along the path. You would definitely like to stop and enjoy watching them.
• Shared jeeps or ambassador cars, if you are travelling with many family members. As these jeeps don’t stop anywhere on the path, they take about 1 hour to reach the temple.

Suggested Itinerary for Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

One can easily travel the temple during daytime and come back within hours. If you visit the temple early morning, you will see hardly few visitors there, except in Shraavan month

Accommodation Options at Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

There are some Dharamshalas, where one can ask for a stay…Most of the people prefer to visit the temple and come back the same day

Medical Facilities near Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

There are no medical stores near the temple. So bring your own medicines with you…As the altitude is not so high, so there is no breathing problem. The road to the temple has many curves. So few people also suffer from Vomiting, especially those living in the plains, who are not habitual of hilly terrains.

Food Joints near Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

There are many small shops and dhabas outside the temple where one can find some oily cooked stuff, biscuits. You may not find a “Bisleri” water bottle there. So those,who prefer only the Branded packaged mineral water, buy it in Laxman Jhula area, before you start your journey. Also be ready to pay more than MRP for the food/drinks.

Phone Signals at Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

There are phone towers built on the hill near the temple. So one can expect the good signals of major Indian telcos like Airtel,Idea,Vodafone,Tata,BSNL.

Petrol Pumps near Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

There is no Petrol pump near the temple. You can get the fuel only in the Rishikesh town area.

ATMs near Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

There is no ATM facility at the temple. So bring some cash with you.

Other attractions on the route to Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

Osho Ashram: At 2 KM on the route to the temple, there is a vast open area, where on the other side of the river, you will see some ashrams including Osho Ashram. You can reach that ashram after crossing the river from Garur Chatti bridge.

Garura Chatti: At 3 KM, there is a bridge in front of a small temple dedicated to Lord Garura. There are also some small dhabas. One can also reach on the badrinath road after crossing the bridge.

Big Waterfall: At about 4.5 KM comes the point, where one can climb 0.5KM up the hill and reach the big waterfall. Many people visit this place during the summer especially in the morning/evening. The climbing path to this place is very muddy and rugged. You are advised to visit this place in the company of some other people & not alone.

Phool Chatti: At 5 KM, there is an ashram named “Phool Chatti”. This ashram has a website and offers Yoga courses.

WildEx: At 6 KM, one can see some camps down the valley, the location of these camps is very beautiful and peaceful. These camps are located far from the main river’s stream.

Rishikesh Valley: At 8 KM, some more camps are located similar to WildEx. One can go down the valley and visit some open fields and small Huts.

Small Waterfall:  At about 9 KM, near Ghattu Ghat area, there is a small waterfall. The place is quite small. This used to be a place for the sadhna for the yogis in the recent times.

After about 10 KM, the height of the road keeps increasing and you will see scenic views along the route, until you reach the temple.

When you reach near the temple, there is an open parking like space, slightly downside the road. One can relax and see very beautiful hills, fields, villages in the valley and up the hill.

There are some other places like Jhilmil Gufa (cave) and Paarvati (Wife of Lord Shiva) temple, which are about 2 KM further up the hill from the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple.

Who should visit this place?

If you are a religious person or a devotee of Lord Shiva, then this place has much importance for you.

If you are an adventure loving person, then you can do various activities like Camping, Trekking, and bathing on the same route and enjoy the beauty surrounding this temple. I have observed that only a few foreigners visit this temple. I would like to add that the route no. 1 to this temple is quite safe and the people are friendly here. So don’t miss this place.

Conclusion:

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is a must visit place around Rishikesh town. The journey to the temple and its surrounding area are the most beautiful places around Rishikesh. So whether you are a religious person, adventurous or peace loving person, you will definitely love this place. So plan to visit this place in your itinerary,even if you visit the Rishikesh town for a day or two.