Grishneshwar Temple

It is believed that a devout woman named Kusuma worshipped Shiva daily by fashioning a clay lingam and immersing it in a pond. Her husband's other wife, jealous of Kusuma's devotion and her son, killed the boy one day and threw his body into that same pond. Despite this devastating grief, Kusuma did not abandon her worship and returned to the pond the next day as usual. Moved by her unwavering devotion, Shiva appeared, revived her son, and at Kusuma's request, chose to reside there forever as the Jyotirlinga.

This legend is why the Jyotirlinga is called Grishneshwar or Ghushmeshwar (derived from Ghushma, another name for Kusuma). It is regarded as the twelfth and final in the traditional list of Jyotirlingas, and though the smallest of the twelve in size, it is in no way lesser in mythological significance.

Grishneshwar Temple stands just 1-2 km from the Ellora Caves, themselves a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so most pilgrims and travellers cover both in a single trip. The temple's present structure is built of red basalt stone, with the same kind of fine carving seen at several other Jyotirlinga temples.

Given its small size, darshan here usually doesn't take long, and pilgrims can visit comfortably year-round. It's well worth including when planning a trip to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and the Ellora-Ajanta caves.