Neelkanth: An Architectural Marvel in the Wilderness

Neelkanth is one of the thousands of names of Lord Shiva. He is called so due to the color of his neck. “Neel” means blue and “kantha” means throat. It is a 10th century shrine that was built by Maharaja Dhiraja Mathanadeva. The architecture of the temple is worth the visit. A rangamandapa stands on four pillars. Originally the rangamandapa had three pancharathas which housed three different deities. Of the three pancharathas, the two on the sides have been destroyed. Only the one in the middle with the Shiva linga remains and retains its original altitude with the shikhara still intact. Its jangha is decorated with sculptures of Narasimha in the north, Harihararka in the east and Tripurantaka in the south. The projections are adorned with figures of surasundaris and dikpalas. It has doors ornamented with figures of Natesa. The ceiling of the rangamandapa is decorated with padmasila, sculptures of surasundaris and gandharvas.

Good to know:

The temple is open from 5:30 am to 9 pm and there is no entry fee.

The proximity of the temple to the famous Sariska National Park makes it worthwhile to visit both at one go. The temple is about 40 kms from Sterling Rewild Sariska and takes around 1 hour 20 minutes. It takes around 25 minutes from the Sariska Tiger Reserve.

A dedicated parking area is available for visitors.