Grishneshwar
घृष्णेश्वर मन्दिर
“Twelfth Jyotirlinga, near the Ellora caves.”
Direct from the trust
official channels — live today
Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Verul — District Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Govt.)
aurangabad.gov.in
Ghrishneshwar — Maharashtra Tourism (Govt.)
maharashtratourism.gov.in
These links go directly to the temple trust’s own services. DharmSetu is not the provider. If a link looks wrong or outdated, please let us know.
Notice
valid until 30 Aug 2026
Heavy crowds on Mondays & in Shravan; bypass roadwork near Verul
Verul sees very large crowds for darshan on Mondays, rising to nearly 5 lakh devotees each Monday during the holy month of Shravan, with severe traffic congestion around the Ellora Caves and the temple. A four-lane bypass is under development ahead of Kumbh Mela 2026 — expect roadwork and delays on approach roads.
Read the official noticeIntroduction
hrishneshwar Jyotirlinga (IAST: Ghṛṣṇeśvara), also known as Grishneswhar, is a Hindu temple of Shiva in Verul village of Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, India. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga mandirs. The mandir is a national protected site, one and a half kilometers away from the Ellora Caves, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north-west of the city Aurangabad, and 300 kilometres (190 miles) east-northeast far from Mumbai. Ghrishneshwar is mentioned in the Shiva Purana, the Skanda Purana, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
History
The etymology is not sure. Several traditional accounts exist for the origin of the Sanskrit compound ghṛṣṇeśvara: The first account is a story from the Padmapurāṇa where a devoted woman named Ghṛṣṇā asks Śiva to come and reside in this place. Thus, the name Lord of Ghṛṣṇā [ghṛṣṇeśvara]. The second story Pārvatī as rubbing (Sanskrit root ghṛṣ-) safron on her palms, and out of the rubbing this particular Śivalinga is produced. A rarer alternative form of the name, Ghrneshwara means "lord of compassion".
The temple structure was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate in 13th and 14th centuries. The temple went through several rounds of rebuilding followed by re-destruction during the Mughal-Maratha conflict. Maloji Bhosale (grandfather of Shivaji) first restored it in the 16th century and rebuilt it to its current form in the year 1729, under the sponsorship of queen Gautama Bai Holkar of Indore, after the fall of the Mughal Empire. 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 (garbha-gruha) of the temple, the local Hindu tradition demands that men must go bare-chested.
This story about the Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga is described in the Puranas- in the south country, there lived a very bright ascetic Brahmin named Sudharma, near the Devgiri Mountain. His wife's name was Sudeha. Both of them had a lot of love for each other. They had no problems of any kind, but they had no children. Astrological calculations showed that there could be no childbirth from Sudeha's womb. Sudeha was very keen to have children.
About the deity — Shiva
Shiva, also known as Mahadeva and Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.
Read more about [Shiva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva).
Architecture
The Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir is built with black stone on an area spanning 44,000 sq ft. It has various sculptures and fine designs on its interior and exterior walls. A Jyotirlinga murti is situated in the Garbhagriha of the mandir and a large murti of lord Shiva's favourite Bhakt Nandi is present in front of the main door.
How to reach
Located in: Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
Photography & gallery
Tags
Festivals celebrated here
त्योहार
No festivals linked here yet.
When our editors confirm the festivals that gather pilgrims at this shrine, they will appear in this folio with their next dates.
Photography & gallery
गैलरी
News & updates
समाचार
We are watching for news about this shrine.
As soon as our editors find a piece worth reading — a renovation, a festival report, a court ruling, a historic recovery — it lands here, with full attribution.
Plan your visit
यात्रा योजना
Before you go
Dress code — men bare-chested in the sanctum
Local tradition requires male devotees to enter the sanctum sanctorum (garbha-gruha) bare-chested, with shirts and upper garments removed. Plan attire accordingly.
Sources & attribution
- Wikipedia: Ghrishneshwar Temple — CC-BY-SA 3.0
- Wikidata: Q1092799 — CC0
This article's initial draft was assembled from the open-source data above. Reviewed editorially before publication.
Services & Support · सेवा
Soon, you can do more than read about Grishneshwar.
We’re building the infrastructure for verified pujas, transparent donations, and trust-rated local help around every shrine. Tell us where you want us first.
पूजा बुकिंग
Book a Puja
Connect with verified pujaris at Grishneshwar. Choose a puja, a date, and the offering — we handle the rest. Each pujari is KYC-checked and rated by the temple committee.
दान
Donate
Support Grishneshwar’s maintenance, annadana programs, and community work. Every paisa receipted, every disbursement public.
स्थानीय सेवा
Hire Local
Trust-verified local services around Grishneshwar — pujaris, drivers, cooks, tutors, plumbers — recommended by the temple’s community.