New Year usually brings me to the most spiritual place – Rishikesh on the foothills of Himalayas.
My stay at Sivananda Ashram, specially at Guru Nivas on the banks of Holy River Ganges, has always been a pleasure and spiritually uplifting. But in this post, I am sharing my journey to one of the most powerful temples of Shiva around Rishikesh - Neelkanth Mahadev Temple. The 4 hour trek passes through picturesque dense forest alongside serene rivers Pankaja and Madhumati. But before I take you on to a journey through my images captured on the way, I would like to share…
A brief note on Neelkanth Mahadev Temple...
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is situated at a height of 1330 meters dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, the place where the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple currently stands is the sacred location where Lord Shiva consumed the poison Halahala that originated from the sea when Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) churned the sea in order to obtain Amrita. The poison emanated during the Samudramanthan (churning of ocean) made his throat blue in color. Thus, Lord Shiva is also known as Neelkanth, literally meaning The Blue Throated One.
TEXT: Curtsy Wikipedia, click here to read more…
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Now come and walk with me… and hope that you will feel the energy, the serenity and the bliss I experience there.
The morning’s at the Guru Nivas are usually beautiful with the sunlight peaking around the surrounding hills and the soft flow of Ganges is very inviting for meditation sessions as well as few cups of hot tea brewed on the ghat, specially in the cold winter morning.
The morning’s at the Guru Nivas are usually beautiful with the sunlight peaking around the surrounding hills and the soft flow of Ganges is very inviting for meditation sessions as well as few cups of hot tea brewed on the ghat, specially in the cold winter morning.
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| The Ghat near the Guru Nivas - Sivananda Ashram The wall with blue color is the steps from Guru Nivas |
On the day of my journey to Neelkanth Temple, I wanted to have a ritual bath in one of the most beautiful ghat in Rishikesh – Triveni Ghat.
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| The picturesque Triveni Ghat - Rishikesh |
Well I was not the only one around with same idea.
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| A sadhu getting ready ... at Triveni Ghat Rishikesh |
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| Some are all set to go... |
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| The beautiful valley and the river along side the trek... |
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| Some of the trekkers of all size... |
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| A hidden cave... and a beautiful water fall - on the way to Neelkanth |
This is one of my favorite places to take rest on the way... Actually there is a small cave behind the curtain of waterfall, where there is a small Shivalinga is placed and some one always comes and do traditional Puja... so you always find some flower on the stone Shivalinga there... This I have been seeing for almost a decade now...
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| Offerings to Lord Shiva - At Neelkanth Temple |
It was around 2PM, when we reached the temple and it was a pleasure to be greeted with flowers, incense and sound of Om Namah Shivaya filling up the environment...
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| And the Neelkanth Mahadev, inside the sanctum |
ॐ नमः शिवाय
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
Its believed that one who prays here even for little time, gets manifold benefits. Many Tantriks, Sadhu's and Yogi's come in the forest around here and do their rituals and sadhanas ... to get siddhi's and other Tantrik powers. For me, I have always found it to be very serene and peaceful to spend some time, in Mantra Yoga and meditation... May you all feel the energy of the place, through these images... |
| The Sunset over the Holy River Ganges - At Sivananda Ashram |
At the end of the journey, I reached to the Muni Ki Reti (Sand beach of Yogi's) and watched the sun go down on a very uplifting day. The soft murmur of river flowing along side brought many beautiful memories associated with this place and then to my favorite place Buddha's Cafe down the beach...
Hope you have enjoyed this journey with me and may you all have the blessings of supreme cosmic source of peace and happiness that you believe in...
Hope you have enjoyed this journey with me and may you all have the blessings of supreme cosmic source of peace and happiness that you believe in...
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Shashi
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
The long walk to Rishikesh - Kaanwarias
beautiful place
ReplyDeletei visited here more than 3 times
really ! in every savan month,i dont forget to visit here, thank a lot to share this place
have been to rishikesh so many times(and will keep going!!)..it is a truely serene place....
ReplyDeletehttp://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in/
Stunning snaps !
ReplyDeleteGracious places !
/Dee..
I love Rishikesh. Have been there twice but want to keep going back again n again. That place has a serenity & calmness about it which is addicting.
ReplyDeleteWell.. u seem to be an advanced blogger and definitely it is going to take me a while to cover all the topics you have written. Lemme get started :)
ReplyDeletewww.dreamzz4ever.blogspot.com
Very nicely done!
ReplyDeletebeautiful pics...must have been a gr8 experience ....
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteViewing Rishikesh in a different angle altogether, is a good experience . Lovely photographs.
Thanks.
My husband David is on his way to Neelkanth today he is looking for his son Jonathan Spollen 28, he has been missing since the 3rd of Feb. Wondering if anyone has seen him? Details are all on India Mike. Thank you very much Heather
ReplyDeleteI stayed at Shivananda ashram as a kid when my uncle took our whole family to visit there....
ReplyDeletebeing a student at Chinmaya Vidyalaya(one of Shivananda's disciples foundation schools)..it was a wonderful experience for me!!
http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in/
Hi Sahshi, Is the shivling picture of neelkanth temple or somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteI had visited temple when I was 12 yrs, but couldn't do the darshan.
Thanks for lovely pics. It will be great if you can revert on sharmamudit2@yahoo.com.
Dear Mudit
ReplyDeleteYes its the original Swaymbhu Shiva Linga of Neelkanth Mahadev, which I was fortunate enough to take picture when the priest were not so concerned about taking the image... which now is not the case... :-)
Shashi
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya