Grishneshwar is an ancient pilgrimage site revered as the abode of one
of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. It is located at a distance of 11 km
from Daulatabad near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Daulatabad was once
known as Devagiri. Located nearby are the popular tourist attractions
Ellora - featuring ancient rock cut monuments from the 1st millennnium
CE, and Ajanta known for its exquisite cave paintings again from the
1st millennium CE.The Grishneswar temple was constructed by Ahilyabhai
Holkar who also re-constructed the Kasi Viswanatha temple at Benares
and the Vishnu Paada temple at Gaya. Grishneshwar is also known as Ghushmeshwar.
Legend has it that a devout woman Kusuma offered worship to Shiva regularly
by immersing a Shivalingam in a tank, as a part of her daily ritual
worship. Her husband's first wife, envious of her piety and standing
in society murdered Kusuma's son in cold blood. An aggrieved Ksuma continued
her ritual worship, and when she immersed the Shivalingam again in the
tank, her son was miraculously restored to life. Shiva is said to have
appeared in front of her and the villagers, and then on is believed
to have been worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga Ghusmeshwar.
Getting there : Ghrishneshwar
Jyotirlinga Temple (Maharashtra)
Just close to famous Ellora Caves. The renovations at this Jyotirlinga
are attributed to Queen Ahilyabai Holkar.
Nearest Airport: Aurangabad
Railway Station: Aurangabad.