The 'Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga' is situated in Aurangabad is one of the 12 jyotirlingas in India
located at Ellora. It has great religious, cultural,social and historical significance, the jyotirlinga is a
place one must visit.

Districts/Region

Aurangabad District, Maharashtra, India.

History

'Jyotirlingas' means ‘column or pillar of light'.There are 12 sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva
considered as jyotirlingas, it is believed that these shrines are those places where Lord Shiva himself
visited.The 'Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga' is the last of the 12 jyotirlingas in India. The archaeological antiquity goes back to the 11th-12th century CE. There are numerous references to this place as the Shaiva pilgrim centre in Hindu religious literature like Purana-s.The word Ghrishneshwar is the title given to Lord Shiva. The temple name has been mentioned in Purana literature such as the Shiva Purana and Padma Purana. The temple was destroyed by the Sultanate rule during the 13th -14th century but was rebuilt by Maloji Bhisale of Verul, in the 16th century AD, who was the grandfather of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Unfortunately, the temple was demolished again during the Mughal
rule, yet it was again reconstructed by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in the 18th century AD
after the downfall of the Mughal Empire. The current temple structure is the one that was
constructed by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar. It is made from red stone and has a five-tier nagara
style shikhara. The temple's linga is east-facing, a court hall consisting of 24 pillars engraved with
beautiful carvings of many legends and stories about Lord Shiva, the statue of Nandi is a bliss to
the eyes of the visitors. Temple is in association with the sacred water tank,which is also old at; east going back to 11th-12th century CE. The temple is not far from the world heritage site of the monolithic temple of Kailash at Ellora. The sanctity of the sacred landscape of this temple is associated with a site originating at the Shaiva caves excavated here from the 6th to 9th
century CE. 

Geography

The temple is in Verul, 35 KM from Aurangabad city in the Aurangabad district in Maharashtra. 

Weather/Climate

The region has a hot and dry climate. The summersare more extreme than winters and monsoon, with a temperature up to 40.5 degrees Celsius.Winters are mild, and the average temperature
varies from 28-30 degrees Celsius.Rains in the monsoon season have extreme seasonal variations, and the annual rainfall is around 726mm.

Things to do

After paying homage to the deity one should definitely see the -
The court hall
The Shivalaya Sarovar
The carvings of Vishnu's Dashavatar
Local markets around the temple

Nearest tourist places

Ellora Digambar Jain temple- 1.1 KM, 5 minutes from the temple
Ellora caves - 1.6 KM, around 7 minutes from the temple
Tomb of Malik Ambar - 4.8 KM, approximately 11 minutes from the temple
Mughal Silk Bazaar - 5.6 KM, approximately 11 minutes from the temple
Tomb of Aurangabad - 9.3 KM, around 20 minutes from the temple
Daulatabad Fort - 13.6 KM, around 25 minutes from the temple

Special food speciality and hotel

Authentic Maharashtrian food, delicious Mughlai plates, mouth-watering street food one can have a
treat of the best of everything.

Accommodation facilities nearby & Hotel/ Hospital/Post Office/Police station

Affordable accommodation facilities are available.The nearest clinic from the temple is the Vaidyanath clinic at 39 KM, 57 min.
The nearest post office is the Head Post office of Aurangabad, at a distance of 34 KM, 52 minutes
from the temple.
The nearest police station from the temple is the City Chowk police station at 35.9 KM, 55 minutes
from the temple.

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to visit

While visiting, tourists should remember that photography is strictly prohibited in the temple.
Men have to enter the temple bare-chested. The best season to visit the temple is between
October and March. The timing to visit is from 5:30 A.M to 11:00 P.M every day but the temple opens
at 3:00 AM during the holy month of Shravan.

Language spoken in area 

English, Hindi and Marathi.