Shri Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple

श्री घृष्णेश्वर ज्योतिर्लिंग मंदिर

Location

Verul (Ellora), Maharashtra

Darshan

05:30 – 21:30

Deity

🪔Lord Shiva (Grishneshwar / Ghrishneshwar)

Entry

Free entry

Regular hours: 05:30–21:30 daily. Temple opens for Mangal Aarti at 04:00. Darshan sessions: 06:30–12:00, 13:00–20:00, 21:00–21:30. During Shravan month (July–August): extended hours 03:00–23:00. All Mondays during Shravan: open from midnight Sunday through to midnight Monday (25+ hours). Vaikunth Chaturdashi: 05:00 to 03:00 next day. Maha Shivaratri: 00:00 (previous night) through all day. Puja timings: 06:00–11:30 (morning) and 14:00–19:00 (afternoon). Abhishek timings: 06:00–11:00 (morning) and 13:00–19:00 (afternoon).

Grishneshwar is the 12th and final Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva, the culminating shrine of the sacred circuit of twelve. The linga here is named Grishneshwar (or Ghushmeshwar / Ghrishneshwar) — meaning "Lord of Compassion" — after the devoted woman Ghushma (also called Kusuma) whose unwavering devotion caused Lord Shiva to manifest here permanently. The temple is a national protected monument of India, and pilgrims completing the Dwadasha Jyotirlinga yatra (circuit of 12) end their journey here.

History

The original temple likely dates to the Rashtrakuta dynasty period (8th century CE onward). It was damaged and partially destroyed during the 13th–14th centuries under the Delhi Sultanate, and again during repeated Hindu–Muslim conflicts. Maloji Bhosale — grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and chief of Verul — undertook a significant restoration in the 16th century, reportedly using a hidden treasure he discovered at the site. The temple was again damaged during Mughal–Maratha conflicts (1680–1707 CE). The current structure was comprehensively rebuilt by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1729 CE (some sources cite Gautami Bai Holkar earlier; the definitive Ahilyabai-attributed reconstruction is most widely cited). Ahilyabai Holkar rebuilt and renovated numerous temples across India including Somnath, Kashi Vishwanath, and Grishneshwar as an act of devotion. The temple sits adjacent to the Ellora Caves UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mythology

According to the Shiva Purana and Skanda Purana: A devoted woman named Ghushma (also called Kusuma) had the practice of fashioning 101 clay Shiva-lingas every day, worshipping them with full devotion, and immersing them in a sacred tank (Shivalaya Teertha). Through her devotion she bore a son. Her jealous sister-in-law Sudeha, consumed by envy, murdered the child and threw the body in the same sacred tank. When Ghushma went to immerse her daily lingas as usual, she saw her son alive, restored to life by the grace of Lord Shiva. Shiva appeared before her and offered to punish Sudeha, but Ghushma — in supreme compassion — interceded for her sister-in-law's life. Moved by her devotion and selfless forgiveness, Lord Shiva declared he would reside at that spot eternally as a Jyotirlinga, to be known as Grishneshwar (Ghrishneshwar / Ghushmeshwar) — named in Ghushma's honour.