Grishneshwar

Maharashtra, Aurangabad, Mumbai

Located at a village called Verul which lies at a distance of 11 km from Daulatabad (Devagiri) and 30 km from Aurangabad, Ghrishneshwar/ Grushneshwar, Jyotirlinga Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. It is believed as the last or twelfth Jyotirlinga on the earth. The temple lies very near to the Buddhist caves of Ellora, only half a kilometer away.

Legend

There are two legends surrounding the origin of Grishneshwar shrine. In the first one, Lord Shiva and Parvathi devi were staying near the Shivalay. One day, the Goddess mixed the vermillion with Shivalay water to apply on her forehead. The vermillion transformed into a Linga and a radiant light emanated from it. She named it Grishneshwar since the Linga came from the rubbing action of her fingers (Grishna means friction).

The second legend is that a great Brahmin scholar Sudharm was persuaded by his first wife Sudeha to marry her sister Ghushma as they were childless. Ghushma used to make 101 Lingas, worship them and discharge them in the nearby lake. Ghushma and Sudharm had a son, but over the years, blinded by jealousy, Sudeha killed the boy in his sleep and threw the body into a lake. As a deeply mourning Gushma continued with her morning ritual of worshipping the Lingas, she saw her son emerging from the lake. Lord Shiva, pleased with her devotion gave back her son and granted her a boon. Accepting Ghushma's request to remain forever in the place , the Lord continued to reside there in the form of a Jyotirlinga. Thus He also came to be called Ghushmeswar.

This Temple is part of famous 12 Jyotirlinga Darsan Yatra.

Architecture

The Grishneshwar Temple, built of red rocks, with a five tiered shikara (temple tower) and stunning carvings exemplifies the architectural brilliance of the past eras. On the way to the temple, the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu are intricately carved in red stone. The temple has many remarkable sculptures and carvings of Indian Gods and Goddesses. The wedding ceremony of the Lord and Parvathi devi are pictured in beautiful murals. There is a huge court hall built on 24 carved pillars. The presiding deity of Lord Grishneshwar, in the form of Lingam, faces towards the east.

Picture courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

Darsan Info

Temple Timings- 5.30 AM - 9.30 PM
During Shravan month - 3.00 AM - 11.00 PM
There are no special queues for darshan.
Abhishekam tickets can be purchased inside the temple premises.

Darsan Dresscode

Men must remove their shirts/t-shirts when entering the temple. Women are expected to wear Indian attire. Jeans, Shorts, Skirts etc are not allowed.

Famous Festival

March - Mahashivrathri (Feb/Mar)
August - Ganesh Chathurthi (Aug/Sept), Holy month of Shravan
September - Navratri (Sept/Oct)
November - Diwali(Oct/Nov)

Culture

The city of Aurangabad, erstwhile part of the state of Hyderabad, is heavily influenced by the culture of that area in its language as well as cuisine. It is one of the largest and fastest growing cities in India. Being the tourism capital of Maharashtra, with some of the major rock-cut architectural sites like Ajanta and Ellora, the area witnesses a steady flow of domestic and foreign tourists.