RISHIKESH
The forest trek from Ram Jhula is 12–14km one-way and takes 4–5 hrs up, which is a serious half-day commitment most visitors underestimate — if you just want the Shiva temple and legend of Samudra Manthan, drive the 32km road route instead and save the trek for when you actually want the hike.
Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, about 32km from Rishikesh at roughly 1,330m elevation, marks the spot where, according to Hindu scripture, Lord Shiva swallowed the poison Halahala produced when gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean, turning his throat blue and earning him the name Neelkanth ('blue-throated one'). Texts describe Shiva meditating here for 60,000 years at the confluence of the Madhumati and Pankaja streams to counter the poison's effects, and the current sanctum is built at that legendary spot. The temple's Dravidian-influenced architecture and forest trek route make it one of the most visited Shiva sites in the Garhwal Himalayas, especially crowded during Maha Shivratri and the Shravan month Kanwar pilgrimage.
