Neelkantheshwar Temple

Neelkantheshwar is still a lesser known destination to many even being so close to Pune. It is a Shiva temple situated on a hillock, over 900 metres above sea level (1000 feet above Pune) and around 40 kilometres from Pune near Panshet-Varshgaon dam. Neelkantheshwar is one of the widely heard names of Lord Shiva. "Neel" in Sanskrit means "blue" in English and "kanth" is the Sanskrit equivalent for "throat". The name finds its origin in the Hindu scripture called Shiva Purana. According to the scripture, Gods and demons decided to churn the ocean of milk (Samudramanthan) in order to take out 'Amrita' (elixir of life). But the very first thing to come out of the ocean was a kind of dreaded poison called Halahala which could destroy the entire universe had it spread all around. Only Lord Shiva was capable of digesting this dangerous poison. He came forward and drank Halahala in order to save the world. Shiva's wife Parvati got alarmed about the safety of Lord Shiva and caught hold of his throat as a result of which the poison remained in Shiva's throat and could not harm him any further. This dangerous drink turned Shiva's throat blue in color forever and this was how he got the name "Neelkantheshwar". The drive to Neelkantheshwar is always pleasant. The road is in good condition and less crowded. The temple of Lord Shiva here is a beautiful piece of architecture. It was built by Sarjemama who was a forest ranger and a social worker. While roaming around in this area he found the Shiva Linga and later built the temple of Neelkantheshwar. The temple works as a powerhouse for the devotees of Lord Shiva. The Siva Linga in the sanctum is decorated with flowers and leaves. Pictures of other Hindu Gods on the walls too are beautiful. Paper cuttings providing some valuable information about the temple are hung on the walls. A special hall has been constructed for the devotees to stay as people from faraway places come here. Special arrangements are made for the morning bath of the devotees.