Grishneshwar temple Aurangabad

This pilgrimage site is located in Ellora (also called Verul), less than a kilometer from Ellora Caves .It is about 30 kilometers  north-west of the city of Aurangabad, and about 300 kilometers  east northeast from Mumbai.

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Grishneshwar temple:-

This temple was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate during the Hindu-Muslim wars of 13th and 14th-century. The temple went through several rounds of rebuilding followed by re-destruction during the Mughal-Maratha conflict. It was rebuilt in the current form in the 18th century under the sponsorship of a Hindu queen Rani Ahalyabai of Indore, after the fall of the Mughal Empire.

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sanctum core  of the temple:-

 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 core  of the temple, the local Hindu tradition demands that men must go bare chested.

     

The Grishneswar temple is an illustration of south Indian temple architectural style and structure. The temple, built of red rocks, is composed of a five tier shikara. The temple was re-constructed by Maloji Bhosale of Verul, (grandfather of Shivaji) in the 16th century and later again by queen Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century. She is credited with rebuilding some of major Hindu temples such as the Kashi Vishvanath temple in Varanasi, a Vishnu temple in Gaya, and a much larger Shiva Jyotirlinga temple in Somnath.

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smallest Jyotirlinga temple in India:-

This 240 ft x 185 ft temple is the smallest Jyotirlinga temple in India. Halfway up the temple, Dashavataras of Vishnu are carved in red stone. A court hall is built on 24 pillars. On these pillars there are carvings summarizing various legends and mythologies of Shiva.

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Map Aurangabad to Grishneshwar:-