consumed the poison
Halahala that originated from the sea during the
Samudramanthan (churning of the ocean) ca 1870. According to
Hindu sacred texts, the name
Nilkanth came into the association with Lord Shiva after he consumed
Halahala, a mythical poison from the sea. It goes back to the story of a fight between
Asuras (Demon) and
Devas (God) for the possession of
Amrith (the immortality nectar). In order to attain the nectar, the Samudra (ocean) needed to be churned and for this purpose, a Mandara mountain was used as churning mettle and Vasuki (king of snakes) was used as a rope tied around the mountain. Both the Devas and Asuras started to churn the ocean by pulling the rope to their respective end.
As the process proceeded, many harmful things started to surface before Amrith. Amongst these was a poison named
Halahala. If the legends are to be believed, Halahala came from the mouth of Vasuki as he was pulled from either side. This poison was so poisonous that it is believed to have the power to destroy the entire creation (Brahamand). Fearing its deadly strength, both the Asuras and Devas prayed to Lord Shiva for aid. Lord Shiva, known as Bhole Shankar for his compassion came to their aid and decided to drink the poison. Lord Shiva amassed the poison in his throat for preventing the poison to seep into his entire body. A legend proclaims that when
Lordess Parvati learnt that her husband, Lord Shiva had consumed the Halahala, she ran to his support and held his throat to stop the poison from running down to his stomach. The impact of the poison was so grave that it turned Lord Shiva's neck blue and hence he came to be known by the name
Neelkantha or
The Blue-Throated one. ==History==