Situated near the world famous Ellora caves, Ghrushneshwar is the last among India\'s revered Dwadash (twelve) Jyotirlinga shrines of the Hindus. It is also referred as Kumkumeshwar in the ancient scriptures. The temple shrine is also known for its striking architecture. 

For the Hindus, a yatra to Ghrushneshwar shrine means completion of Dwadash Jyotirlingas. After having darshan at Ghrushneshwar temple, the devotee has to visit Pashupatinath shrine near Kathmandu in Nepal to complete the Dwadash Jyotirlinga circuit. 

Ghrushneshwar temple is located just 500 meters from Ellora caves and 30 km away from Aurangabad city in Maharashtra. The 45 minutes drive from Aurangabad to Ghrushneshwar is indeed memorable as it covers the picturesque Sahyadri hills with historical places like Daultabad, Khuldabad and of course Ellora caves en route. 

The story of Ghrushneshwar Jyotirlinga:

There are two stories which go back to the origin of Jyotirlinga and how the name was derived. The first story narrated in an ancient book called Kashikhand is as follows:

Once upon a time, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati (also known as Girija Bhavani) were living in the forest called Dandaka. One day, Goddess Parvati became thirsty and asked for water. Lord Shiva than thrust his trishul (trident, Lord\'s weopon) in the earth and the water sprang out of the ground. Goddess was very happy to see the flow of clean and clear water. After some days Goddess Parvati was rubbing Kumkum (Red Powder) on her left palm with right hand, a little flame emerged out of the rubbing.

She was shocked by this and wanted to know the reason . Lord Shiva explained to her that it was the linga brought for her from seventh world (Sapta Lok) under the earth. Goddess than bowed down in worships and put the uncommon flame in the stone linga. As it was born out of the Kumkum, the linga was called Kumkumeshwar, but later on it was called Ghrushneshwar because it was the result of Gharshan(friction). 

The second story goes like this:

Sudharma was a learned Brahmin, whose wife was Sudeha. The couple was childless. Sudeha was worried and suggested that Sudharma should marry her younger sister Ghrushma. After repeated requests, he married Ghrushma. She was a devotee of Lord Shiva. Every day, Ghrushma made 108  lingas out of sand, worshipped them and immersed them in Ela Ganga  river. The three  were living happily. As days passed, Ghrushna gave birth to a son. Over a period of time, Sudeha became jealous of Ghrushma and her son. Ghrushma\'s son was also growing. He also got married at the marriageable age.

One day Sudeha silently entered into son\'s room at night and stabbed him, threw his body into Ela Ganga river. Next day the son\'s wife found that her husband was not in the room. She asked to Ghrushma. When Ghrushma came to know that her son was missing, she neither wept nor mourned.  Instead she worshipped her 108 sand lingas as usual and took them for immersion in the Ela Ganga  river. Suddenly she was surprised to see her son appear in the river. Her son narrated the entire story and made known his intention to settle score with his step mother Sudeha.

Ghrishma stopped his son. In fact she asked her son to pray to Lord Shiva to forgive his step mother. Lord Shiva was pleased with Ghrushma\'s prayer and worship. On her request Lord promised to stay in her own home in some other form, which subsequently came to be known as Ghrushneshwar.

The importance of Shivalaya Tirth Kund:

The Shivalaya Tirth Kund nearby Ghrushneshwar temple is a must visit place. Padmapuran has the story of Shivalaya Tirth Kund .

In the ancient age, a king named Ala ruled the country. Once he went for hunting in the forest. He killed many animals. A great sage namely Gautam Rishi was also living in that forest. The Rishi saw dead animals and cursed the king Ala saying that his body will become abode of worms. The king regretted very much and requested him to forgive him. The king fell at Rishi\'s feet and asked for mercy. The sage was moved by his words and said to king Ala that in the day time alone, the king will suffer from worms, but at night will be free from it.

After some years, the king once again went for hunting. This time he couldn\'t find any animal for hunt. He was thirsty and wandered for water. At last he saw an impression on cow in which some water was accumulated. He drank that water. It was very sweet. To his surprise, he found that the worms had gone away from the body and his face was shining. He was very happy.

He decided to perform penance. He did it. Brahma, the creator appeared before him and offered him a boon. The king requested him to bless him with the water that had washed his worms. God Brahma then called for the sacred waters of the eight tirthas and created the great place known as Shivalaya Tirtha Kund. 

The present structure of the holy lake Shivalaya was constructed by Maharani (Grand Queen) Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1769. It is made of red stones and has four entrances, 56 steps on each side. Near it are eight temples of the different tirthas. 

Architecture of Ghrushneshwar Temple:

The Ghrishneshwar temple looks beautiful and it has elegant surroundings .Ghrushneshwar temple represents a very good specimen of modern Hindu architecture. The temple has three gates-one Mahadwar (main entrance) and two Pakshdwars (side gates).The devotee first halt at the small shrine of Kokila Mata upon entering the Ghrushneshwar temple. She keeps her hand up and tells Lord Shiva that his devotees have arrived.

The Ghrushneshwar temple stands on a platform and the sabha mandap or pillard hall, which is big. The sabha mandap is supported by carved columns and a huge idol of Nandi faces the Jyotirlinga. The outward appearance of the temple is also brilliant. The stone edifice rises in distinct bands of freizes-rust, pink and pale yellow. It is interesting to know that a Gujarati devotee namely Jayrambabu Bhatia had donated copper kalash with golden plating many years ago.

Garbhagriha (Sanctum)

The Garbhagriha (sanctum)is broader, which gives enough breathing space to the devotees. The Jyotirlinga is fixed in an underground chamber of the shrine. The Jyotirlinga is Purvabhimukh (east faced),which is unique amongst all 12 Jyotirlingas. One can see the silver plating on the shalunka. Shri Ghrushneshwar temple was reconstructed by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar.

 Protocol for the devotees:

There is an interesting ritual male devotee has to follow while having darshan of Jyotirlinga. He has to remove his upper clothes and leather belt, while entering into garbhagriha. There is no specific reason for this custom, however the local priests explain that this is a tradition, which might came to give a relief to the devotee for hassle free puja

Temple Timings:

The temple daily opens at 5:30 am and closes at 9:30 pm. During the holy month of Shravan, the temple remains open from 3:00 am to 11:00 p.m. The main Trikaal Puja and Arti can be witnessed at 6:00 am, noon and 8:00 p.m. daily. During the holy month of Shravan, a special 9:00 p.m puja also takes place. On Mahashivaratri,a palkhi (Palanquins)take the Lord Shiva idol to the nearby Shivalaya Tirth Kund.

The deity is brought back to the temple at 6:00 pm for all night prayers and celebrations. On Valmiki Chaturdashi (usually in November),the Milan (meeting) of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is celebrated. Thus Lord Shiva is worshipped with Tulsi (Traditionally associated with Lord Vishnu) and Lord Vishnu with Bilva, which is associated with Lord Shiva.

Temple Management:

Shri Ghrushneshwar temple is run by a trust called Shri Ghrushneshwar Temple Devasthan Trust. Local priests and scholars are the committee members of the trust.

Performing Puja:

There are various pujas organized by the temple trust for the devotees. The main pujas include Abhishek-Rs.501/-,Rudrabhishek-Rs.2101/-,Laghurudrabhishek-Rs.7501/- and more. The devotee who wants to perform such puja at Jyotirlinga has to deposit respective amount to the trust office. The devotee can perform the puja on the same day or the day after by the priest, fixed by temple office. However,there is an expectation for Dakshina.

Places to visit around Ghrushneshwar:

• Ellora Caves:

The world famous Ellora caves are 500 meters away from Ghrushneshwar temple. Actually these are cave temples, which are the product of three religious systems-Brahminism, Buddhism and Jainism containing elaborate carvings of gods and goddesses and remarkable memorials of the three great faiths they represent.

There are 34 caves in Ellora. Caves 1 to 12 making the southern series are Buddhist, next 16 caves belonging to Brahminism and caves 30 to 34 represents Jainism style. The Buddhist caves are the earliest, which came into existence in 500-700 AD. It is a true amalgamation of religions.

The visitor has to spend a full day if he wants to get a complete feel .There is an entry fee of Rs.10 and visitor can also hire guide if he wishes. There are different charges for guide services. Upto 4 hours for the group of max 5 persons, the charge is Rs.450 and for the full day it costs Rs.600. For a group of maximum 14 persons the charge for half day is Rs.600 and full day is Rs.800. For a group of maximum 35 persons, the charge for half day is Rs.900 and full day is Rs.1150. Ajanta caves are 106 km away from Ellora caves. 

• Daulatabad:

Built by Yadava king of Bhillama V in the 12^th century, this fort was previously known as Devgiri. After the conquest of Devgiri in 1296 A.D. by Allauddin Khilji, for many years it remained a principal stronghold. In 1327AD, Sultan Mohammad-Bin-Tughlak moved his capital from Delhi to Devgiri and renamed it as Daulatabad or the City of Fortune. The wisdom of this act by Tughlak had created great controversy and the emperor again changed the seat of his government to Delhi. 

The defense system that made Daulatabad virtually impregnable comprises fortifications with double and triple rows of massive walls. In addition there are mazes with a complex arrangement of entry ways and deep rock cut moats and trenches. The defense mechanism is really unbelievable and seen to be believed. 

There are some must visit places in the fort area. It comprises of the Mahakot, Sculpture of the fort, Conical Tower, Hathi Hauz, Jain Temple, Kalakot (Death Gate), Mendha Top etc besides long and 70 feet high Chand Minar. Daulatabad Fort is a heritage monument. The visitor has to pay an entry fee of Rs.5 and it takes 4 to 5 hours to have a complete feel of the fort. 

• Khuldabad or Khultabad:  

Known for the tomb of the last great Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the small town is 26 km away from Aurangabad and close to Ellora caves(3.5 km).The simplest kind of tomb of Aurangzeb is a place to visit. The emperor who was one of the richest and most powerful man of his time, had left instructions that his last resting place should be built only with the few rupees he had earned by stitching cloth caps and like a poor man\'s grave, it was to be covered simply with the earth. The visitor offers flowers or chadar (cloth) to the tomb. 

There is also an ancient temple of Bhadra Maruti in this town. Many pilgrims particularly on Shani Amavasya and Hanuman Jayanti visit this place to offer prayers.

Places around Aurangabad:

Built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the Aurangabad city is one of the major centre of Maharastra. There are many places in and around Aurangabad to visit. Some of the important places include Bibi ka Maqbara, Siddharth Garden, Siddharth Garden Zoo, Dr Babasaheb Ambedakar Research Centre, Panchakki,Bharat Mata Temple and Shivaji Museum. 

It is interesting to know that Bibi ka Maqbara situated few kilometers from Aurangabad is a replica of world famous Taj Mahal of Agra. Emperor Aurangzeb built this in memory of his wife Rabia-ud-Durrani. It was modeled on Taj Mahal which was built by his father Shahjahan.

 Paithan:

Known for its Pathani sarees, Paithan is 16 km away from Aurangabad. There are many places in Paithan to visit. These include Jain Temple, the Temple and samadhi of great saint Eknath, samadhi of Navnath on the banks of Godavari river. At the Godavari dam site a new garden is built on the lines of the famous Brindavan (Mysore) Garden.

 Various Distances from Ghrushneshwar,Ellora:

The distance chart for important places from Ghrushneshwar,Ellora is as follows:

Mumbai is 365 km,Pune-254 km,Nagpur-550 km,Bhimashankar-300 km,Aundha-200 km,Parli-225 km,Pandharpur-310 km, Ajanta Caves-106 km, Surat 365 km,Shirdi-120 km and Shani Shinganapur is 140 km from Ghrushneshwar Temple,Ellora.

How to Go?

The distance between Ahmedabad and Aurangabad is about 620 km. There are daily private travel buses available from Ahmedabad. Most of the private buses (fare:Rs.500 for sleeper and Rs.400 for sitting arrangements in most of the private buses) depart at 5:00 pm and reach Aurangabad next day at 9:00 am. The Maharastra State Road Transport Buses are also available from Ahmedabad. There are daily two buses from Ahmedabad and seven buses from Surat.

There are many options from Aurangabad to reach Ghrushneshwar temple. The distance is 30 km from Aurangabad. The state transport buses (fare: Rs.20) run regularly for Ghrushneshwar. Shuttle Jeeps(fare:Rs.25) are also available to Ellora. The yatri has to get down at Ellora, which is 500 meters away from Ghrushneshwar. Besides, auto rickshaws can also be hired. They normally charge around Rs.450/Rs.500 for round trip with site seeing like Daulatabad, Khuldabad and Ellora Caves. Ghrushneshwar Temple is also known as Ellora Temple amongst locals.

Where to stay?

If you want to stay in Aurangabad, there are plenty of hotels available with tariff ranging between Rs.500 and Rs.2500.

One can also find staying accomodation near Ghrushneshwar temple. The yatri niwas run by Shri Ghrushneshwar Temple Devasthan Trust is a place to stay. The charge is Rs.150 for room and Rs.500 for hall. Two hotels near Ghrushneshwar temple and Ellora caves are also an option to stay in which the tariff ranges between Rs.800 and Rs.2000.

Vipul K Shukla

(The writer is Ahmedabad based Public Relations Consultant.He visited Ghrushneshwar Jyotirlinga in August,2008.He can be contacted at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )