The view of the interior of the mandapa (pillared hall) of Neelkanth Mahadev Temple as seen from the north western corner of the mandapa. In front of the three shrines of this temple is a shared mandapa with four pillars at the centre.
The Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is situated amidst dense vegetation, among the foothills of the Aravalli Range, inside the Sariska Tiger Reserve. The temple built in sandstone stands out in the greenery spread across the plains.
Seen here are remains of two temples from the Sariska Forest Reserve. The temple on the left is a restored single shrine that had a Latina Nagara variety shikhara (superstructure). What remains of the temple on the right is only its huge plinths with geometric patterns; above these plinths, there are remnants of pillars.
This is a view of the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple seen from its southeastern corner. Also pictured here are the southern and eastern shrines of the temple as seen from the rear. The western side of the temple is its principal entrance, and the eastern shrine has a partially preserved and conserved shrine.
A Chaturmukha linga is placed on top of the stone platform in the mandapa. As per the literal meaning of the term Chaturmukha, the linga has four faces, each facing a cardinal direction. The linga is made of a black stone and is worshipped as the primary deity by the locals. According to popular lore, the Chaturmukha linga represents Shiva, Parvati, Brahma, and Vishnu. The mukha facing the east (entrance gate) is of Shiva with a heavy jatabhara on the head. The south face of the linga has a heavy jatamukuta (matted crown) on its head and hairlocks cascading down to the shoulders. The west face (rear) also has a jatamukuta, albeit carved slightly differently from the other three. The north face has snail-shaped curls culminating in a jatamukuta. The deity is adorned with a beautiful necklace. The sringara (attributes) of all the four faces of the Chaturmukha linga are done differently. This could be a representation of Maheshmurti or the trinity, with Surya also depicted.