Neelkanth - Temple Town

Distance:76km from Alwar
29km from Sariska

Neelkanth is a very old temple town, with temples dating from the 6th to the 9th centuries AD. It used to be a happy little town in those days but then something strange happened, and the town was deserted. The temples gradually got covered by forests, and came to be visited by the four footed only.

In the 1950s, some villagers from a nearby place happened to come upon these old structures. Seeing the beautifully sculpted pillars lying waste, they carried them back with them to build their huts. It was then that the news spread, and excavations began. So far only about a quarter of the temples have been recovered.


¤ Neelkantheshwar Temple

There are lots of other temples you could see here. The Neelkantheshwar Temple, which is still in use, is one of them. The temple is like a veritable museum, with excellent stone carving in every nook and corner. Much of the fine work on the shikhara (spire) is still intact, while elsewhere are wonderful carvings of figures. Some of the pillars are badly damaged, standing bare in the open sky. Hundreds of stone slabs with carvings and inscriptions lie around. The pink sandstone statue of the Jain tirthankara (saint) Parshavanath housed in the Naugaza Temple is also a masterpiece. The temple complex is interesting, quite roofless in many places with blocks of stone lying around.