From the Sanskrit word nilakanta, meaning “blue throat,” this is an epithet used for the Hindu deity Shiva. According to mythological accounts from the Bhagavata Purana, the name was given to Shiva after he swallowed the poisonous kalakuta that emerged from the churning of the kshirasagara or “Ocean of Milk.”
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ChicagoImpart Encyclopedia of Art. "Neelakantha." Last updated February 17, 2026. https://imp-art.org/definitions/neelakantha/.
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MLA"Neelakantha." Impart Encyclopedia of Art, Feb. 17, 2026, https://imp-art.org/definitions/neelakantha/.
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HarvardImpart Encyclopedia of Art (2026) Neelakantha. Available at: https://imp-art.org/definitions/neelakantha/ (Accessed: 3 March 2026).
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