At the village of Verul in Maharashtra, roughly thirty kilometres north-west of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad), stands the last of the twelve jyotirlingas in the traditional list. The name appears as Grishneshwar, Ghrishneshwar and Ghushmeshwar, and means “lord of Ghushma”, after the woman of the legend. The temple lies about a kilometre and a half from the Ellora caves, and the two are usually visited together.
Where it is
The hymn that lists the twelve ends with “Ghushmesham cha Shivalaye”, and Shivalaya, “the abode of Shiva”, is generally identified with the area of Ellora and Verul. A few writers have suggested other places, but this identification is the widely accepted one, and unlike Vaidyanath, Nageshwar and Bhimashankar the identification of this shrine is rarely disputed in practice.
The temple stands in a village and not in a forest or a mountain. It is a quiet and compact complex, and a visit can easily be set within a day that also includes the caves, which are among the great rock-cut monuments of the world, with Hindu, Buddhist and Jain caves. The monolithic Kailasa temple, carved from a single hillside, is the centrepiece, and many visitors find that the two together are a deeply moving day.
The legend
The Shiva Purana tells of a Brahmin named Sudharma and his wife Sudeha near Devagiri (today’s Daulatabad), who had no children. Sudeha, wishing to see her husband have a family, arranged for him to marry her younger sister, Ghushma. Ghushma was a devout worshipper of Shiva and made a hundred and one small lingas of clay every day, taking them to a nearby tank and gently floating them away.
Ghushma bore a son, and Sudeha, who had once been loving, grew bitter with jealousy. One night she killed the boy and threw his body into the same tank in which Ghushma immersed the lingas. In the morning, as Ghushma continued her worship and went to the water, her son rose up alive from it. Shiva appeared, and, in the story, was ready to punish Sudeha. Ghushma pleaded for her sister, and this goodness pleased Shiva still more. At her request he stayed as Ghushmeshwar, and the tank is remembered in the tradition as Shivalaya.
The tale is a lesson on forgiveness more than on punishment. As always, read it as a sacred narrative.
The temple’s history
The temple was damaged during the centuries of conflict that followed the arrival of the Delhi Sultanate and in the Mughal period. In the seventeenth century Maloji Bhosale, grandfather of Shivaji, is remembered for contributing to its restoration. The present structure was largely built in the eighteenth century, with Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore as the patron who gave it its current form. It stands on a wide platform of red volcanic stone, in a style that draws on the regional Hemadpanthi tradition, with ranks of carved figures on the walls and a tall spire. A statue of Nandi stands in a hall in front of the sanctum.
A day at Verul
Most people see the temple in the morning and the caves in the afternoon, or the other way about. The caves are closed on one weekday, which is worth checking, and the walk between caves is long, so wear comfortable shoes and carry water. Daulatabad Fort, once called Devagiri, lies on the same road and is a pleasing stop. A small number of pilgrims also visit the nearby shrine of Sant Eknath at Paithan on a longer circuit of the region. Everything is within a day’s easy travel of the city.
How to get there
- Airport: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) airport is the nearest, about forty-five minutes to an hour by road.
- Railway: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar railway station, with Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi connections.
- Road: buses and taxis run from the city to Ellora and Verul, and many visitors combine the temple with Ellora, and sometimes Daulatabad Fort and Ajanta in the following days.
The season
The caves and the temple are at their best just after the monsoon, when the hills are green, and in winter. Summers are very hot. Maha Shivaratri and Shravan Mondays bring large crowds, and the Shravan month has a special air at Ellora. Look up the Maha Shivaratri page for a date.
Etiquette
Local custom requires men to take off their shirts before entering the innermost sanctum, in line with a practice seen at several temples in Maharashtra and the south. Please check the temple’s official website for the current dress rules and for the arrangements for darshan, which are set by the trust. We do not quote timings or fees. Keep footwear at the stalls provided, remain quiet in the sanctum, and be gentle with the stone.
The offering is the usual one of water, bel leaves and flowers. A recitation of Rudrashtakam or the Shiva Tandava Stotram suits the place. If you also visit Ellora, ticketing rules for the caves are separate from those of the temple.
Related pages
- The twelve jyotirlingas
- Trimbakeshwar jyotirlinga
- Bhimashankar jyotirlinga
- Shiva aarti
- Pradosh vrat
- Pilgrimage guides
Frequently asked questions
↳ Why does the temple have three spellings?
Grishneshwar, Ghrishneshwar and Ghushmeshwar are different transliterations of the same Sanskrit name, which refers to the devotee Ghushma in the legend.
↳ Is the Grishneshwar site disputed?
Not in the way that Vaidyanath, Nageshwar and Bhimashankar are. The hymn's Shivalaya is generally identified with Verul near Ellora, though a few writers suggest other places.
↳ What is the nearest airport and station?
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) has both an airport and a railway station, and the temple is about an hour from them by road.
↳ Can I visit Ellora on the same day?
Yes. The temple is about a kilometre and a half from the Ellora caves, and many pilgrims visit both. Tickets and timings for the caves are separate from the temple.
↳ Is there a dress rule?
Men are asked to remove their shirts for the sanctum according to local custom. Please confirm current rules on the temple's official website.