Grishneshwar

Located in the state of Maharashtra, Grishneshwar is very close to the Ellora caves. It is at distance of 11 kilometers from Daulatabad in Aurangabad. Also known as Ghushmeshwar, Grishneshwar is an ancient pilgrimage site and is revered by all Shiva devotees.

Grishneshwar is home to one of the 12 holy jyotirlingas in the country. One of Lord Shiva's abodes, the Grishneshwar temple was constructed by Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar in the 17th century. It is said that a woman named Kusuma, who was a very pious devotee of Lord Shiva, immersed a Shiva lingam in a tank as a part of her daily worship ritual. Her husband's first wife did not take well to her devotion and standing in society and killed Kusuma's son out of jealousy. An immensely pained Kusuma continued her daily worship in spite of this and when she immersed the Shiva lingam again in the tank, her son came back to life miraculously. Lord Shiva is said to have appeared before her and the villagers and ever since the Shiva lingam here has been worshipped as a jyotirlingam.

The Grishneshwar temple is known for its superb medieval temple architecture and splendid artistry. The fine carvings on the walls of the temple depict various scenes or happenings from the Hindu mythology. The ten statutes showing the ten different incarnations of Vishnu are artistically carved. The shivalingam is installed in the inner complex of the temple. Outside this complex there is a statue of the Nandi. Nandi is the bull which Lord Shiva rides and it is also the gatekeeper for Shiva and Parvati in Hindu mythology. The Sabha Mandap covers the Nandi. It occupies a major part of the temple and has seats made from stone. The pillars of the Sabha Mandap as well as the exterior walls of the temple are adorned with intricate carvings of various tales. The temple has a conical roof with carvings.

The Grishneshwar temple is most visited during Mahashivratri when devotees from all over India throng this place to get blessings of Lord Shiva during the occasion. Weather-wise Girshneshwar is fine to visit anytime of the year.

Other Attractions around Grishneshwar
Situated very close to Grishneshwar, Ajanta - Ellora caves, a popular tourist attraction, is worth visiting for its remarkable architecture, sculptures and Buddhist paintings. Other attractions around Grishneshwar include Bani Begum garden, Daulatabad, Khuldabad, Bibi ka Maqbara and Pithalkora.