Grishneshwar Temple: The Last of the 12 Jyotirlingas

Where it is

Grishneshwar, also written Ghushmeshwar or Ghrishneshwar, is in the village of Verul, near Ellora, about thirty kilometres from the city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, which was formerly known as Aurangabad. These distances are given in common accounts, so please confirm before you travel.

Because of its position at the end of the traditional list, many pilgrims treat it as a point of completion. Whether or not you are visiting all twelve, the temple has a quality of arrival.

What the name means

The name is explained in the story below. Ghushma was the name of a devoted woman, and the lord who stayed at her request is remembered as Ghushmeshwar, the "Lord of Ghushma." The spelling varies by region and source.

The legend of Ghushma

The story comes from the Shiva Purana, and the details differ across versions. In the usual outline:

A learned Brahmin named Sudharma lived with his wife Sudeha. They had no children. In her longing, Sudeha asked her husband to marry her younger sister, Ghushma, in the hope that the sister would bear a child.

Ghushma was a gentle, devoted woman and a lifelong worshipper of Shiva. Every day, she made a hundred and one small lingams from clay, worshipped them and then placed them in a nearby lake. In time, she gave birth to a son, and the household was happy.

But Sudeha, who had once wished for the child, began to feel jealous as the boy grew and Ghushma was loved. In a moment of dark envy, she killed the boy and threw his body into the same lake where Ghushma immersed her lingams.

When the household discovered the loss, there was grief. Ghushma, the story says, did not give up her worship. She went to the lake as usual, as though nothing had changed, and began her daily offering of lingams.

As she finished, her son appeared, alive, walking out of the lake. Shiva stood behind him.

Shiva was ready to punish Sudeha. But Ghushma asked for something else. She asked that her sister be forgiven, and that Shiva remain in that place for the good of all. Shiva agreed, and he stayed there as Ghushmeshwar.

The tellings differ in how they handle the details. Some versions soften the jealousy, others describe it more starkly. Treat the story as a living tradition and not a single fixed text.

The story's lesson

What lingers is not the miracle but the response. Ghushma did not hurry to blame, and when she was given the chance to ask for anything, she asked for mercy for the person who had wronged her.

Many readers find this to be the real heart of the Grishneshwar tale: devotion that continues in grief, and forgiveness that is offered at the moment it is hardest. The legend is told with care, because it touches on loss and harm within a family. If it brings up painful feelings for you, it is fine to put it down for a while.

The temple

The temple is built in red volcanic stone, with a five-tiered spire and carved figures on the walls, including scenes from the Dashavatara, the ten incarnations of Vishnu. A courtyard surrounds the sanctum, and a sacred tank, the Shivalaya Tirtha, lies nearby.

In common accounts, the present structure was rebuilt in the eighteenth century under the patronage of Ahilyabai Holkar, the Maratha queen of Indore, who also restored many temples across India, including Kashi Vishwanath. Earlier histories of the site are less clear, and sources differ on dates. If you are curious about details, a local guide or the temple trust can help.

The shrine is considered among the smaller Jyotirlinga temples in Maharashtra, which gives it a calm, human scale. A well-known custom here, noted by many visitors, is that men are asked to remove their shirts before entering the inner sanctum. Rules can change, so please check at the entrance.

A claim shared with others

Like several of the Jyotirlingas, Grishneshwar has a rival claim. A shrine called Ghushmeshwar near Shivar in Rajasthan is also regarded by some devotees as the Jyotirlinga. The question has been discussed for a long time without a settled answer. You can honour the shrine in front of you without needing to declare the other wrong.

Ellora next door

The most striking thing about the place is its neighbour. The caves at Ellora, cut into a basalt hillside, include Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments that were made over several centuries. The great Kailasa temple, carved from a single rock from the top down, is the largest of them.

One panel there shows Ravana straining to lift Mount Kailash while Shiva and Parvati sit above, undisturbed. If you have read our story of Ravana's attempt to lift Mount Kailash, you may enjoy seeing it carved in stone. Check the opening days and timings of the Ellora caves before you plan, as they can close on certain days.

Visiting Grishneshwar

Practical details change, so please confirm locally before you go.

• Getting there. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has road, rail and air connections. Taxis and buses run from the city to Verul and Ellora. Check current schedules.
• When to go. The monsoon months turn the Ellora hills green, though the rain can make walking slippery. Winter is cooler and clearer. Summers are hot.
• Crowds. Mondays, Mahashivratri and the month of Sawan are busy. Early morning on a weekday is usually calmer.
• Dress. Modest clothing is expected, and for the inner sanctum, the custom for men described above may apply. Our guide on what to wear and avoid in a Shiva temple covers the basics.
• Offerings. If you are bringing prasad, see our guide to offering prasad at a Shiva temple.
• Around the area. The Ellora caves, Daulatabad Fort and Bibi Ka Maqbara are commonly visited from the city. Check opening days.
• Health and safety. Ellora involves a lot of walking and steps. Wear comfortable shoes, carry water and plan with your doctor if you have a health condition.

The last, and the most gentle

In a list of twelve great shrines, many of them grand and many of them remote, it is fitting that the last is a small, quiet temple built around a story of forgiveness.

The Jyotirlingas are often told as stories of power: a demon defeated, a boon granted, a pillar of fire. Grishneshwar ends the list with something different. It ends with a woman at the edge of a lake, still making her lingams.