The Grishneshwar Temple, which is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga, is situated 11 km from Daulatabad, Maharashtra. Sometimes this temple is known as Ghrneshwar or Ghushmeshwar Temple. Let us tell you that this temple was built by Ahilyabai Holkar.
Do you know the meaning of Ghrneshwar? It means ‘Lord of Compassion’. According to Shaivism tradition, this temple is among the most religious and important places for Hindus. Out of all 12 Jyotirlinga, this Jyotirlinga is considered as the last Jyotirlinga. Let us tell you Dhareshwar Shivling, Samadhi of Shri Janardan Maharaj Ji, and the famous Ellora caves are situated near this temple.
Currently, this temple is an important place for Hindus, that is why every year millions of devotees visit this temple. There are no restrictions here, anyone can enter the temple. But while entering the sanctum, you will have to follow some Hindu traditions, otherwise, you can’t enter the sanctum.
Maybe you don’t know Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga is the smallest Jyotirlinga in India, which is built-in 240 * 185 feet. The hall of this temple is constructed from 24 pillars and on all the pillars you can see inscriptions and manuscripts of ancient times. Also, you can see the Hindu deities depicted on the walls of the temple. If you are also planning to visit this temple, then read this article to know the full information about the Temple and its nearby places.
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Grishneshwar Temple History
Nobody knows about the exact date of establishment of this temple but it is estimated that it must have been made before the 13th century. At the time of the Mughal Empire, Grishneshwar Temple was situated in the Belur region, which is currently known as Ellora Caves.
In the 13th and 14th centuries, many battles took place around this temple, which this temple also damaged a lot. In the 16th century, Chattarpati Shivaji Maharaj’s grandfather (Maloji Bhosale) rebuilt this temple. But in the 17th century, this temple was damaged again in the Mughal Maratha wars. At last, Grishneshwar Temple was rebuilt by Rani Ahilya Bai (Queen of Indore) in the 18th century.
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Story
There was a couple named Sudharma and Sudeha. They were very happy in their married life. They were only sad that they did not have any children. The reason for this was that Sudeha could never become a mother. To get rid of this grief, Sudeha decided to get her husband married to her younger sister Ghushma. After the marriage of Sudharma and Ghushma, a beautiful child was born to them. But gradually Sudeha getting jealous of Ghushma and her son. One day, she saw Ghushma’s son is playing along, so she killed him and buried his body in the pond.
Ghushma was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. She used to worship by making 101 Shivling every morning and then immerse that Shivling in the pond. Sudeha had buried the child’s body in the same pond in which Ghushma used to immerse Shivling daily. There was an outcry all around after hearing the news of the child’s death. But Ghushma did not give up his daily practice. She made 101 Shivling for the worship of Lord Shiva and after the worship when she went to immerse those Shivlings. At the same time, her son came out alive from the pond. At the same time, Lord Shiva also appeared in front of Ghushma.
Lord Shiva was angry with Sudeha and wanted to punish her. But Ghushma requested Lord Shiva to forgive Sudeha. She also requested him to stay here forever for human being welfare. After accepting her request, Lord Shiva started residing here in the form of Jyotirlinga. That Jyotirlinga is now known as Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga.
Grishneshwar Temple Timings
The opening time of Grishneshwar Temple is 5:30 am in the morning and the temple is closed at 9 pm in the evening. In the month of Saawan, at the time of Shivratri or during any other major festival temple remains open from 3 am to 11 pm. Let us also tell you that the best time to visit the Grishneshwar temple is between November to February.
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Places to Visit Near Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
- Ajanta Caves
- Ellora Caves
- Bibi Ka Maqbara
- Daulatabad Fort
- Buddhist Caves Aurangabad
How to Reach the Temple
By Air: Let us tell you that the nearest airport to Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is the airport of Aurangabad, which is around 30 km away from the temple. From here you can easily get local transport like bus or taxi to reach the temple. It will take you around 1 hour to reach the temple.
By Train: If you have decided to go via train, you must know about the nearest railway station to the temple, which is Aurangabad railway station. It is around 30 km away from the Grishneshwar Temple. This railway station is well connected via rail route with other major cities railway stations of the country. After reaching there you can easily get a bus or cab to reach the temple.
By Bus: If you have decided to travel via bus, then let us tell you that from Aurangabad Bus Stand, a direct bus service is available for Ellora Caves. The temple is located hardly 2 km away from the Ellora Caves. You can reach there by foot or by using local conveyance.
Also, read “Kedarnath Temple“
