Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga - Temple, Story, Significance, and History
Out of the world-famous twelve Jyotirlingas, three holy Jyotirlingas are located at different places in Maharashtra. But there is also one Jyotirlinga about which devotees believe that by visiting here, one gets the fruits of visiting all the 12 Jyotirlingas. About the Ghrushneshwar Jyotirlinga located near Verul village, 12 miles from Daulatabad. It is also known as Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga.
Ghrushneshwar Jyotirlinga comes last among the twelve Jyotirlingas. If a childless couple visits Ghrushneshwar Jyotirlinga after visiting Shivalaya Sarovar before sunrise, then they will get children. Let us tell you that this temple has also been mentioned in the Shiva Purana and Padma Purana. It is said that this temple is 3 thousand years old. Another special thing about this Jyotirlinga is that it is east-facing; first of all, the Sun God himself worships it.
It is believed that Ghrishneshwar, worshipped by the Sun, relieves one from physical, divine, and material sufferings. Adi Shankaracharya had said that in Kaliyug, a person gets relief from diseases, defects, and sorrows by merely remembering this Jyotirlinga.
12th Jyotirlinga - Grishneshwar
Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga is regarded as the twelfth and last of the 12th Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The name тАЬGhrishneshwarтАЭ is derived from the Sanskrit word тАШGhrishnaтАЩ, which means тАЬdevotion or loveтАЭ, and the temple is considered to be a symbol of divine love and grace. The Ghrishneshwar temple was renovated in the 18th century by Ahilyabai Holkar, a Maratha queen and a devout patron of Shiva temples. The architecture of the temple is in the South Indian style, with beautiful carvings, sculptures, and a five-tiered spire. Despite being the smallest of the 12th Jyotirlingas, its spiritual power is considered immense.
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Story
There are two most popular stories about the origin of Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga, which are as follows...
First story- According to a mythological story, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati lived near a Shiva temple in the Sahyadri mountain range. Goddess Parvati had mixed sindoor in the water of the Shiva temple. The sindoor mixed by Goddess Parvati got transformed into a Shivling. After rubbing the vermilion, a Shivling was formed, which is why it was named Ghrishneshwar, where Ghrishna in Sanskrit means friction/rubbing. And this Shivling is made of vermilion, i.e., Kumkum in Sanskrit, that is why it also has another name Kumkumeshwar Jyotirlinga.
Second story- According to another mythological story, a very brilliant ascetic Brahmin lived near Devgiri mountain in the southern country. His wife's name was Sudeha. Both of them loved each other very much. But they had no children. It was known from astrological calculations that Sudeha cannot become pregnant. But still, she wanted a child. Then Sudha asked her husband, i.e., Sudharm, to marry her younger sister.
At first, Sudharma did not agree to this, but he had to bow down to Sudha's insistence. Sudharma married his wife's younger sister, Ghushma. Ghushma changed into a very humble and virtuous female. Shiva's grace was such that, after a while, an infant changed into born in her house. Both sisters were delighted.
Both were living very lovingly. But don't know how a wrong thought came into Sudha's mind. She thought that everything in this house belonged to Ghushma and nothing belonged to me. Sudha thought about this so much that it got embedded in her mind. Sudha was thinking that the child was hers, and Ghushma had claimed her husband as well. я╗┐Ghushma's toddler had grown up and was married. With a lot of these evil thoughts, someday she killed Ghushma's young son while he turned into dozing off at night.
She threw his body in the pond. This was the same pond where Ghushma used to throw the earthen Shivlingas every day. When the morning came, there was chaos in the whole house. Ghushma and her daughter-in-law started crying bitterly. But Ghushma did not give up her faith in Shiva. She worshipped Shiva on this day as well, like every other day. After the puja was over, when she went to the pond to throw the earthen Shivlingas, her son was seen coming out from inside the pond.
Coming out, Bhishma fell at Ghushma's feet. It seemed as if Bhishma was returning from somewhere. But Lord Shiva was very angry with Sudeha's act and was ready to cut her throat with his trident. Ghushma pleaded with folded hands to Lord Shiva to forgive her sister. What she has done is a heinous sin, but it is only due to Lord Shiva's mercy that she has gotten her son back.
Now, forgive Sudeha. Ghushma prayed to Lord Shiva to stay at this place forever for the welfare of the people. Lord Shiva accepted both the requests of Ghushma and appeared in the form of Jyotirlinga and started staying there. Because he was worshipped by Ghushma, a devotee of Lord Shiva, he was named Ghushmeshwar Mahadev. He is also known as Ghrushneshwar.
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Significance
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga is the most divine and peaceful abode for the devotees of Lord Shiva. Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga is the smallest temple of Lord Shiva, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The temple measures 240 ft x 185 ft, with a 5-tiered spire and a golden shikhara or kalash on the top of the temple.
The architecture of the Ghrishneshwar temple is completely built in the South Indian style, which is rare to see in this region. The temple is built with red volcanic rocks, intricate carvings, and idols of divine deities. The temple of Lord Shiva has a sanctum, an antaral, and a sabha mandapam.
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga History
It was built before the thirteenth century while the Mughal Empire occupied the region, such as Vellore (now called Ellora), where the temple is located. Devastating Hindu-Muslim conflicts occurred, and the temple was destroyed between the 13th and 14th centuries. я╗┐Maloji Bhosale, grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, performed a crucial function in rebuilding the temple as the chief of Verul within the sixteenth century.
Maloji Bhosale found a hidden treasure, which he spent on rebuilding the temple, and also built an artificial lake at Shanishingnapur. The Grishneshwar temple faced several more attacks by the Mughals after the 16th century. It needed to be rebuilt several times during the Mughal-Maratha wars between 1680 and 1707. It was last rebuilt in the 18th century, when the Mughal Empire was defeated by the Marathas. The queen of Indore, Rani Ahilyabai, sponsored the reconstruction of the temple, which can still be seen today.
About Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
This impressive structure is characterized by its excellent architecture and the amazing artistry of the stone carvers. The Shivalinga is located inside the inner chamber of this temple. A large statue of Nandi is present outside this chamber. Covering the Nandi is the Sabha Mandap of the temple. This is the main part of the temple, and there is a seating arrangement on stone benches. Various stories are engraved on the pillars of the Sabha Mandap. These carvings depict great detail and unique artistry.
Many mythological stories are engraved here. Among these, the statues of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu are prominently engraved. The conical roof of the temple, which was probably built later, also has beautiful carvings. The statues here are skillfully carved and have very expressive emotions. The temple has a copper silver plated Shrikhand. Resting in a square-shaped courtyard, which has a stone wall and a passage, the Ghrishneshwar Temple is an excellent example of ancient architecture.
Grishneshwar Puja Method
The Mangala Aarti at Ghrishneshwar Temple takes place at 4 am. я╗┐After this, the temple is opened for fashionable devotees at five:30 am. Participate in the rituals and pujas that take place at the temple, such as Mangal Aarti, Jalahari Samyojna, Mahaprashad, etc. You can also witness the grand celebration of the Maha Shivaratri festival at the temple.
Conclusion
In ancient times, this place was named Ghushmna after Mahadev's ardent devotee Ghushma. There is a sea here, without visiting which the journey to Mahadev is considered incomplete. This Jyotirlinga is east-facing, and the Sun God is worshipped first here. According to Christianity, this Jyotirlinga provides Dharma, Kama, Artha, and Moksha along with freedom from physical, divine, and material sufferings by worshipping the Sun God. Remembering the Jyotirlinga liberates one from all kinds of sorrows, diseases, and defects. If you want to know about the Temple, Story, Significance, and History of Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, then online astrology consultation.
