Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Ellora

Grishneshwar stands in the village of Verul, a short walk from the world-famous Ellora caves, about 30 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad). In the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Smaranam the closing line reads "Ghushmesham cha Shivalaye", Ghushmesha at Shivalaya, and Grishneshwar is counted twelfth and last among the twelve.

The name comes from Ghushma, the devoted woman of the legend, and is also written Ghrishneshwar or Ghushmeshwar. Grishneshwar is often called the smallest of the Jyotirlinga temples, but its devotion is as great as any.

Unlike most great temples, Grishneshwar allows devotees to enter the sanctum and touch the linga with their own hands. By old custom, men remove their shirts before going in, as a mark of humility before Shiva.

Because it completes the list of twelve, many pilgrims end their Jyotirlinga yatra here, and tradition says that a pilgrimage to the twelve is complete only after darshan of Grishneshwar.

The Shiva Purana tells of a brahmin named Sudharma who lived near the Devagiri hills with his wife Sudeha. They had no children, so Sudeha persuaded her husband to marry her younger sister, Ghushma, a woman of deep devotion to Shiva.

Every day Ghushma made 101 small lingas of earth, worshipped them, and then immersed them in a nearby lake. In time she had a son, who grew up and married. Sudeha, overcome by jealousy, killed the young man one night and threw his body into the same lake.

When the family discovered what had happened, everyone wept, but Ghushma did not stop her worship. With complete faith she made her lingas as usual and went to the lake to immerse them. There her son rose out of the water alive, and Shiva appeared before her.

Shiva wished to punish Sudeha, but Ghushma, full of compassion, begged him to forgive her sister. Moved by her goodness, Shiva granted her wish and, at her request, stayed there for ever as the Jyotirlinga Ghushmeshwar. The lake is still remembered as the Shivalaya.

Verul has been a sacred place for well over a thousand years, as the nearby Ellora caves, with their Hindu, Buddhist and Jain shrines, show. A temple of Ghushmeshwar stood here in early times, and it was damaged during the conflicts of the 13th and 14th centuries.

In the 16th century the temple was restored by Maloji Bhosale, the grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose family came from Verul. The Bhosale family's link with the village is still remembered there.

The present temple was rebuilt in the 18th century under the patronage of Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, who restored many of India's great temples, including Kashi Vishwanath and the old Somnath. It is the last of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples to have been rebuilt in its present form.

The temple is built of red-brown basalt, the same stone as the Ellora caves, and stands in a walled courtyard. Its five-tiered shikhara rises over the sanctum, and its walls are richly carved with images of gods, goddesses and scenes from the Puranas, including Vishnu's Dashavatara.

A hall of 24 carved pillars, the sabha mandapa, leads to the sanctum, where the small linga faces east. A Nandi sits in the hall facing the linga.

Near the temple is the Shivalaya tank, linked with the legend of Ghushma, and devotees often bathe or sprinkle its water before darshan.

Entering the small sanctum and placing your hands on the linga is an intimate experience, very different from the distant darshan of larger temples. Many devotees pour water and offer bel leaves themselves, chanting softly.

For those completing the twelve Jyotirlingas, the last darshan here is often deeply emotional, a moment to give thanks for the whole yatra, as Ghushma gave thanks for her son.

Pujas can be arranged through the Devasthan Trust office and the registered priests at the temple. Agree on the details and charges before the puja.

Common offerings are water, milk, bel leaves and flowers, offered by devotees with their own hands.

Maha Shivaratri, with a large fair and worship through the night.

The Mondays of Shravan, when devotees from across Maharashtra come for darshan.

Kartik Purnima and the Mondays of Kartik, with lamps lit at the temple.

Abhishek and Rudrabhishek can be performed by devotees inside the sanctum, guided by the temple priests. Men performing puja usually wear a dhoti, as the custom requires.

On Mondays and in Shravan the queue can be long, and special arrangements are made for the large crowds.

By air: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) airport is about 35 km away, with flights from Mumbai, Delhi and other cities.

By train: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar station is about 30 km away, on the line from Mumbai and Hyderabad.

By road: MSRTC buses and taxis run regularly from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Verul and Ellora, a drive of under an hour via Daulatabad and Khuldabad. Shirdi is about 100 km away.

The temple and the Ellora caves are about a kilometre apart, within walking distance. Autos are available in Verul for the caves and Khuldabad.

Verul has a few lodges and MTDC's resort near the Ellora caves. Most pilgrims stay in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, which has hotels of every budget.

Book early for Maha Shivaratri and Shravan Mondays.