Grishneshwar Temple

Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, sometimes referred to as the Ghrneshwar or Ghushmeshwar Temple, is one of the shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva that is referenced in the Shiva Purana, and one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.[2][3][4]

Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
घृष्णेश्वर ज्योतिर्लिंग मंदिर
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictAurangabad
DeityShri Grishneshwar (Shiva)
FestivalsMahashivratri
Location
LocationVerul, Aurangabad, 431102
StateMaharashtra
CountryIndia
Grishneshwar Temple is located in Maharashtra
Grishneshwar Temple
Location in Maharashtra[1]
Geographic coordinates20°1′29.9″N 75°10′11.7″E
Architecture
TypeHemadpanthi

Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is located in Ellora (also called Verul), less than a kilometer from Ellora Caves – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) north-west of the city of Aurangabad, and about 300 kilometres (190 miles) east-northeast from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.[5]

Etymology

The word Ghrneshwara means "lord of compassion".[6]

History

The temple structure was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate in 13th and 14th-century. The temple went through several rounds of rebuilding followed by re-destruction during the Mughal-Maratha conflict. It was rebuilt in the current form in the 18th century under the sponsorship of queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, after the fall of the Mughal Empire.[7] It is presently an important and active pilgrimage site of the Hindus and attracts long lines of devotees daily. Anyone can enter the temple premises and its inner chambers, but to enter the sanctum sanctorum core (garbha-gruha) of the temple, the local Hindu tradition demands that men must go bare-chested.[6]

Grishneshwar Shiva temple is next to the Ellora Caves.

The temple was re-constructed by Maloji Bhosale of Verul, (grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) in the 16th century and later again by queen Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century. She is credited with rebuilding some of major Hindu temples such as the Kashi Vishvanath temple in Varanasi, a Vishnu temple in Gaya, and a much larger Shiva Jyotirlinga temple in Somnath Temple.[8]

Architecture

The Grishneswar temple is an illustration of Maratha temple architectural style and structure. The temple, built of red rocks, is composed of a five-tier shikara.

This 240 ft x 185 ft temple is the smallest Jyotirlinga temple in India. Halfway up the temple, Dashavataras of Vishnu are carved in red stone. A court hall is built on 24 pillars. On these pillars, there are carvings summarizing various legends and mythologies of Shiva. The Garbhagriha measures 17 ft x 17 ft. The Lingamurty faces eastward. There is a Nandi bull in the court hall. The temple houses carvings and sculptures of many Hindu gods and goddesses.

Connectivity

Nearest Airport: Chatrapati Sambhajinagar

Nearest Railway Station: Aurangabad

References
  1. Grishneshwar Aurangabad GPS Archived 11 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Govt of Maharashtra
  2. Aurangabad District Administration, Government Of Maharashtra. "Ellora Leni and Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Verul". Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  3. Swati Mitra (2011). Omkareshwar and Maheshwar. Goodearth Publications. p. 25. ISBN 978-93-80262-24-6.
  4. Directorate of Publicity, Maharashtra State (India) (1960). Handbook of Maharashtra State. p. 166.
  5. Banerjee, Shoumojit (8 February 2023). "Hillary Clinton visits Ellora Caves, Grishneshwar temple in Aurangabad". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  6. Lochtefeld 2002, p. 247.
  7. Bruce Norman (1988). Footsteps: Nine Archaeological Journeys of Romance and Discovery. Salem. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-0-88162-324-6.
  8. Swati Mitra (2011). Omkareshwar and Maheshwar. Goodearth Publications. pp. 23–25. ISBN 978-93-80262-24-6.

Notes
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