குஷ்மேஸ்வரர் கோயில் (க்ரிஷ்ணேஸ்வரர்)Grishneshwar Temple

Sthala Mahātmyam

Grishneshwar, at the village of Verul beside the Ellora caves near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), is traditionally counted as the last, twelfth Jyotirlinga, the culmination of the pilgrimage that begins at Somnath. Its name is glossed as Lord of Compassion. The sthala legend tells of a devout woman, Kusuma (also called Ghushma), who daily worshipped Shiva by immersing a clay lingam in a tank. Envious of her, her sister-in-law murdered Kusuma's son and cast his body into the water. Undeterred in her faith, Kusuma continued her worship; Shiva, moved by her devotion, restored her son to life and manifested at that spot as Grishneshwar, taking his name from her. The compact temple, richly carved in red basalt with fine sculptural work, was rebuilt by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century, near the UNESCO-listed Ellora caves. Maha Shivaratri is the principal festival, and the sacred month of Shravan draws large crowds of pilgrims to this final Jyotirlinga.