Grishneshwar Temple is pilgrimage destination with a rich ancient history. The place is venerated as the home of one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga temple is situated at Verul village, approximately 20 km from Daulatabad close to Aurangabad district in Maharashtra. Earlier, Daulatabad was known Devagiri. The world famous Ellora caves are situated nearby.

The Grishneshwar Temple is recognized as one of the holiest religious destinations and also known as Ghushmeshwara or Kusumeshwara. The temple precincts and the surroundings offer devotees a peaceful and pious setting for devotees to calmly meditate and connect with Lord Shiva and attain mental and spiritual peace. The Grishneshwar Temple was rebuilt due to the efforts of Maloji Bhosale and later by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar, the Queen who ruled the Malwa kingdom in the 1700s.

History

There are many legends about the temple. According to one legend, a Brahmin couple Brahmavetta Sudham and wife Sudeha lived in the Devagiri Mountains many years ago. They were childless which greatly saddened Sudeha. When all prayers went unanswered, Sudeha asked her sister Ghushma to marry her husband and bear them a child. Ghushma used to make 101 lingams to appease Lord Shiva and released them in a lake nearby.

Soon Ghushma was blessed with a baby boy. The happiness of the couple made her sister Sudeha jealous and in a fit of envy, she killed the young child and threw the baby in the same lake where Ghushma used to release the holy lingams. When Ghushma came to know of the incident next day morning, she remained calm and unshaken and remained engrossed in worship of the Lord. She firmly believed that Lord Shiva who had blessed her would protect her child too. Her unshakable faith bore fruits and soon she saw her son coming to her from the lake, hale and hearty.

When the Lord appeared before her, she asked forgiveness for her sister and asked Him to remain at the place eternally for the benefit of others in the form of a Jyotirlinga. The wish was granted and soon Lord Shiva assumed the Jyotirlinga form and took the name of Ghushmeshwara. The lake is called the Shivalaya after the incident.

About the Grishneshwar Temple

The temple is an excellent example of traditions followed by Hindus in the pre-historic times which is amply illustrated in its architecture and construction. The temple is made of red, hard rocks and has a five-layered shikara. The height of the temple is about 185 feet and the interiors contain brilliant carvings of Hindu Gods. It is believed that the holy water often springs up from inside the temple premises. The court hall has 24 well-carved pillars with beautiful paintings. The temple houses a dazzling sculpture of Nandikeshwara, a form of Shiva in court, midway to the temple. There are also carvings of Dasha-Avataras made in red stones.

How to Reach Grishneshwar Temple

By Road

Aurangabad is extremely well connected by road to Mumbai, Pune and other major cities of Maharashtra. The Grishneshwar Temple is 27 km from Aurangabad and 11 km from Daulatabad.

By Train

Aurangabad Railway Station is the nearest railway head and connected to Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad by trains that run at fairly frequent intervals. Manmad Railway station is about 100 km away.

By Air

The nearest airport is Aurangabad domestic airport.