The Grishneshwar temple (also spelled Ghrishneshwar) stands in the village of Verul, beside the Ellora Caves, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district, Maharashtra. It is revered in Hindu tradition as the twelfth and last of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva. The low, carved stone shrine you see today was rebuilt in the 18th century, in the era of the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar, and it sits within easy walking distance of a UNESCO World Heritage site. This guide covers what the temple is, its disputed building history, the darshan and dress rules, how to reach it, and what to pair it with nearby.
Grishneshwar is a Shiva temple at Verul, about 1.5 km from the Ellora Caves and roughly 30 km northwest of Aurangabad city, in Maharashtra. Hindus revere it as the last of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The present stone structure dates to an 18th-century Maratha-era rebuilding, and entry is free.
Key takeaways
- The Grishneshwar temple is at Verul, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district, Maharashtra, about 1.5 km from the Ellora Caves and around 30 km northwest of Aurangabad city, per Wikipedia’s sourced account.
- In Hindu tradition it is counted as the twelfth and last of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva; devotees describe it as the final one on the Jyotirlinga circuit.
- The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times; the present structure is credited to an 18th-century Maratha-era rebuilding, with the Holkar rulers of Indore and, earlier, the Bhosale ancestors of Shivaji named in different accounts.
- Local tradition requires men to enter the inner sanctum bare-chested, according to Maharashtra Tourism and Wikipedia; a dhoti is usually available at the entrance.
- General darshan is free and the best months are October to March; the adjacent Ellora Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are closed on Tuesdays (as of October 2026, reconfirm locally).
About the Grishneshwar temple
The Grishneshwar temple is a working Shiva shrine at Verul, a village that shares its ridge with the Ellora Caves in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) district, Maharashtra. According to Wikipedia’s sourced account, it lies about 1.5 km from the caves, roughly 30 km northwest of Aurangabad city, and around 300 km from Mumbai.
It is a compact, horizontal temple rather than a tall tower-shrine, built close to the ground and rich with carved panels on its walls. The Jyotirlinga sits in the garbhagriha (inner sanctum), and a large Nandi (Shiva’s bull mount) faces the main door. Maharashtra Tourism describes the court hall as resting on 24 pillars and the sanctum lingam as facing east.
Because Verul is right next to Ellora, most visitors treat the temple and the caves as a single half-day or full-day outing. The temple is free to enter; the caves are a ticketed Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monument. If you are building a wider Maharashtra itinerary, our Maharashtra travel guide sets out how the Aurangabad-Ellora cluster fits with the state’s other regions.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Verul, near Ellora, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district, Maharashtra |
| Distance | ~1.5 km from Ellora Caves; ~30 km northwest of Aurangabad city (per Wikipedia) |
| Deity | Shiva, worshipped as a Jyotirlinga (twelfth and last, per tradition) |
| Present structure | 18th-century Maratha-era rebuilding (attributions differ — see below) |
| Area | About 44,000 sq ft, built in stone (per Wikipedia) |
| Entry | Free; general darshan needs no booking |
| Dress note | Men enter the sanctum bare-chested, by local tradition |
| Best season | October to March |
Jyotirlinga status and the legend
Grishneshwar is counted, in Hindu tradition, as the twelfth and last of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the self-manifested “pillars of light” through which Shiva is believed to have appeared. This is a matter of devotional belief rather than recorded history, and pilgrims often complete the wider Jyotirlinga circuit here. The other eleven are spread across India, from Somnath in Gujarat to Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.
According to the Puranic legend, a devout woman named Ghushma worshipped Shiva daily by immersing small clay lingams in a tank. Her son was killed by a jealous co-wife, Sudeha, and thrown into the same tank. When Shiva appeared and offered to punish Sudeha, Ghushma asked instead that her son be restored and the co-wife forgiven. Pleased, Shiva is said to have remained at the site as a Jyotirlinga, taking the name Ghushmeshwar, from which “Grishneshwar” is derived.
Several variant names attach to the shrine in different texts and local usage, including Ghushmeshwar and Ghrishneshwar. We use “Grishneshwar” throughout for consistency, noting that the spellings all point to the same temple at Verul. The legend, as above, is tradition, not documented event.
Architecture and the Ahilyabai Holkar rebuilding
The present Grishneshwar temple is the product of an 18th-century rebuilding, after the shrine had been destroyed and restored repeatedly over earlier centuries. According to Wikipedia’s sourced account, the Delhi Sultanate destroyed the temple in the 13th and 14th centuries, and it was damaged again during Mughal-Maratha conflict before reaching its present form.
Who rebuilt it is told slightly differently by different sources, so it is worth attributing carefully. Wikipedia records that the temple was rebuilt in its current form in 1729, sponsored by Gautamabai Holkar of Indore. In popular and tourism accounts, the rebuilding is widely credited to the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar, who ruled Indore from 1765 to 1795 and restored temples across India. Separately, sculpture historian Yogesh Joshi, quoted by the news agency PTI in 2025, says the shrine was first restored by the Bhosale ancestors of Chhatrapati Shivaji in an earlier phase, and that a stone inscription bearing the names of Maloji and Ekoji Bhosale still lies in the temple. The earliest original construction is undocumented.
On the building fabric, sources genuinely conflict. Wikipedia describes the temple as built in black stone over an area of about 44,000 sq ft, with carved sculptures across the interior and exterior walls. Several Maharashtra Tourism-aligned and travel accounts instead describe a red volcanic rock or red-and-black basalt structure in the regional Hemadpanti idiom, topped by a tiered shikhara (spire) and set on 24 carved pillars. Given the disagreement, treat the stone colour as “variously described as red-tinged and black basalt” rather than settled, and confirm by eye on site. What all accounts agree on is that the walls carry dense carving, including depictions drawn from Shiva mythology, and that a seated Nandi faces the sanctum.
| Phase | What sources say | Attributed to |
|---|---|---|
| 13th–14th c. | Temple destroyed | Delhi Sultanate (per Wikipedia / Maharashtra Tourism) |
| 16th–17th c. | Early Maratha restoration; Bhosale inscription said to survive | Bhosale ancestors of Shivaji (per historian Yogesh Joshi, PTI 2025) |
| 1729 | Rebuilt in present form | Gautamabai Holkar of Indore (per Wikipedia) |
| Later 18th c. | Restoration widely credited in popular accounts | Ahilyabai Holkar (ruled Indore 1765–1795) |
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Grishneshwar is October to March, when daytime temperatures in the Aurangabad region are mild enough for comfortable sightseeing at both the temple and the open-air Ellora Caves. Summer, from April to June, is hot and draining on the exposed cave paths. The southwest monsoon, roughly June to September, greens the surrounding Deccan plateau but brings heat, humidity and heavy crowds in the Hindu month of Shravan.
Shravan, which falls around July to August, is the peak devotional season for any Shiva temple, and waits at Grishneshwar lengthen sharply then. If your trip is primarily about the temple and a calm darshan, aim for a winter weekday morning. If it is about Ellora, the same winter window serves both, as of October 2026.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | October–March | Mild, dry; best for the temple and the caves; book stays ahead on weekends |
| Summer | April–June | Hot; exposed cave paths tiring; carry water and sun cover |
| Monsoon | June–September | Green surroundings, humid; Shravan brings the heaviest temple crowds |
How to reach Grishneshwar
Reach Grishneshwar via Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), the regional hub about 30 km southeast of Verul, by air, rail or road, then cover the last stretch by taxi or bus. The temple shares its approach with the Ellora Caves, so most road directions to Ellora bring you within walking distance of the shrine.
By air, the nearest airport is Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport (airport code IXU, formerly Aurangabad Airport) at Chikalthana, a domestic airport run by the Airports Authority of India. Published airline listings name carriers such as IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air connecting it to cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru; schedules change, so reconfirm before booking, as of October 2026.
By rail, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) is the nearest major railhead, with connections toward Mumbai, Pune, Secunderabad and beyond. By road, Verul-Ellora is a straightforward drive from Aurangabad; shared and private taxis, plus Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses toward Ellora, serve the route. Our Maharashtra travel guide explains how Aurangabad links to the rest of the state.
| From | Distance (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ellora Caves | ~1.5 km | Walking distance; usually visited together (per Wikipedia) |
| Aurangabad city | ~30 km | ~1 hour by taxi; buses toward Ellora available |
| Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport (IXU) | ~35 km | Domestic flights; prepaid taxi from the terminal |
| Mumbai | ~300 km | Fly or train to Aurangabad, then road (per Wikipedia) |
Darshan, dress code and rules
General darshan at Grishneshwar is free and needs no advance booking; you queue at the temple and move through to the sanctum. The one rule travellers most often ask about is the dress custom: according to Maharashtra Tourism and Wikipedia, local tradition requires men to enter the inner sanctum bare-chested (shirt removed), and a dhoti is usually available at the entrance for those who need to change. Women are generally expected to dress modestly in traditional attire. The outer premises carry no such restriction.
Footwear comes off before you enter the temple areas, as at any Hindu shrine. Several visitor accounts report that photography is restricted inside the main sanctum and that phones and cameras may be limited within the complex; rules here are not consistently published, so ask staff on arrival rather than assume. Exterior photography of the carved stonework is generally fine.
Darshan timings quoted online vary widely and none is an official temple-trust figure, so we will not print a precise schedule you might rely on and find wrong. As a planning estimate only, several accounts describe an early-morning opening, a midday pause and an evening session, with far longer hours during Shravan; reconfirm the current timings and any aarti schedule with the temple on the day, as of October 2026. For a short wait, a winter weekday morning is the safest bet.
Nearby places to add on
The strongest reason to base yourself near Grishneshwar is that several major sites cluster within an easy drive, led by the Ellora Caves right next door. Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage site (inscribed in 1983) of 34 rock-cut caves, Buddhist, Hindu and Jain, including the monolithic Kailasa temple (Cave 16), which is widely described as the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world. Ellora is closed on Tuesdays; entry is ticketed by the ASI.
Within a short radius you can also add Daulatabad Fort, the medieval hill citadel, and Khuldabad, the walled town holding the austere tomb of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In Aurangabad city itself, Bibi ka Maqbara, the 17th-century tomb modelled on the Taj Mahal, is the headline monument. Further out lies Lonar, a meteorite-impact crater lake on the Deccan basalt.
| Place | Distance | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Ellora Caves | ~1.5 km from Verul | 34 rock-cut caves and the Kailasa temple; UNESCO site, closed Tuesdays |
| Daulatabad Fort | ~15–17 km from Aurangabad | Medieval hill fort on a steep conical rock |
| Khuldabad | Near Daulatabad | Walled town; tomb of Aurangzeb and Sufi shrines |
| Bibi ka Maqbara | ~5 km from Aurangabad centre | 17th-century tomb, often called the “Taj of the Deccan” |
| Lonar crater lake | ~150 km from Aurangabad | Meteorite-impact crater in basalt; day or overnight trip |
Where to stay
Stay either at Ellora-Verul for the quietest early-morning start, or in Aurangabad city for the widest choice of hotels and easy onward transport. Ellora itself has a limited spread of budget lodges, dharamshala-style rooms and a Maharashtra Tourism-linked resort, suited to pilgrims who want to be first in the darshan queue.
Aurangabad, 30 km away, carries the full range, from budget guesthouses through mid-range business hotels to a few higher-end properties, and makes a practical base if you plan to cover Ellora, Daulatabad and Bibi ka Maqbara over a couple of days. As indicative planning bands only (reconfirm live, as of October 2026): budget rooms roughly ₹800–₹1,800, mid-range ₹2,500–₹5,000, and upper-end properties ₹6,000 and above per night. Book ahead on winter weekends and during Shravan, when both pilgrims and holidaymakers fill the district.
Budget for the trip
A no-frills day trip to Grishneshwar and Ellora from Aurangabad can be done cheaply, because the temple is free and the main paid item is the Ellora ticket plus transport. The table below is an indicative planning estimate for two people on a one-day outing from Aurangabad, not a quoted tariff; reconfirm every figure before you travel, as of October 2026.
| Item | Estimated cost (₹) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grishneshwar darshan | 0 | General darshan is free |
| Ellora Caves entry (2 Indian adults) | ~₹80 | Around ₹40 per Indian adult, unofficial figure; ₹600 per foreigner — reconfirm at the ASI counter |
| Taxi (Aurangabad–Ellora return) | ~₹1,800–₹2,800 | Varies by vehicle and waiting time |
| Meals and water | ~₹500–₹900 | Local eateries at Ellora and in Aurangabad |
| Indicative total (2 people, 1 day) | ~₹2,400–₹3,800 | Excludes stay and shopping; planning estimate only |
Practical tips
Plan Grishneshwar as part of the Ellora day, go early, and keep cash handy for the small, variable costs. A few practical notes:
- Timing: Reach by mid-morning at the latest if you also want Ellora, which closes on Tuesdays. Do the temple first, then the caves.
- Dress: Men should expect to remove their shirt for the sanctum; a dhoti is usually available. Carry something to wrap up in if that matters to you.
- Cash and UPI: Aurangabad has ATMs and UPI acceptance; carry some cash for the Ellora ticket counter, parking and small eateries near Verul, where digital payment can be patchy.
- Health: Aurangabad city has the district’s main hospitals; Verul-Ellora has only basic facilities, so carry any medicines you need.
- Solo women travellers: The temple and Ellora are busy, mainstream sites; a daytime visit with a licensed taxi is straightforward. Dress modestly and keep to daylight hours on the quieter fort paths.
- Packing: In winter, light layers for cool mornings; in summer, water, a hat and sun cover for the exposed cave walkways. Comfortable shoes you can slip off at the temple help.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Grishneshwar temple located?
The Grishneshwar temple is at Verul, next to the Ellora Caves, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district, Maharashtra. According to Wikipedia’s sourced account, it is about 1.5 km from the caves, roughly 30 km northwest of Aurangabad city, and around 300 km from Mumbai. The nearest airport and major railhead are both at Aurangabad.
Is Grishneshwar the last of the twelve Jyotirlingas?
In Hindu tradition, yes. Grishneshwar is revered as the twelfth and last of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the self-manifested shrines of Shiva, and many pilgrims complete the circuit here. This is a matter of devotional belief rather than recorded history, so it is best described as tradition. The other eleven lie across India, from Somnath to Rameshwaram.
Who rebuilt the Grishneshwar temple?
The present temple comes from an 18th-century rebuilding, but accounts differ on who. Wikipedia records that it was rebuilt in 1729 under Gautamabai Holkar of Indore, while popular and tourism accounts credit the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar. Historian Yogesh Joshi says the Bhosale ancestors of Shivaji restored it earlier. The original construction is undocumented.
Do men have to enter the sanctum bare-chested?
According to Maharashtra Tourism and Wikipedia, local tradition at Grishneshwar requires men to enter the inner sanctum bare-chested, with the shirt removed; a dhoti is usually available at the entrance. Women are expected to dress modestly in traditional attire. The rule applies to the sanctum, not the outer premises. Reconfirm current practice with temple staff on arrival.
What are the Grishneshwar temple darshan timings and entry fee?
General darshan at Grishneshwar is free and needs no booking. Exact timings quoted online vary and none is an official trust figure, so treat any schedule as indicative: accounts describe an early-morning opening, a midday pause and an evening session, with longer hours in Shravan. Reconfirm the current timings with the temple before you travel, as of October 2026.
Can I visit Grishneshwar and the Ellora Caves together?
Yes. Grishneshwar is about 1.5 km from the Ellora Caves, so the temple and caves are almost always visited on the same trip. Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage site of 34 rock-cut caves, including the monolithic Kailasa temple, and is closed on Tuesdays. Do the free temple darshan first, then the ticketed caves.
Last updated and sources
Grishneshwar suits pilgrims completing the Jyotirlinga circuit and any traveller already bound for Ellora; a winter weekday morning gives the calmest darshan and the coolest cave walking. Pair the free temple with the ticketed caves and you have a full, rewarding day out of Aurangabad.
Last updated: 13 October 2026. Fees, timings and permits change — reconfirm with official sources before you travel.
Sources: Maharashtra Tourism, Ghrishneshwar temple page; Wikipedia, Ghrishneshwar Temple (for location, coordinates, area and rebuilding history); The Week / PTI, historian Yogesh Joshi on the Bhosale restoration; UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Encyclopaedia Britannica for Ellora Caves (1983 inscription, 34 caves, Kailasa Cave 16); and published airport and distance listings for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Airport (IXU) and the Aurangabad-Ellora route. Darshan timings and entry fees are not drawn from an official temple-trust schedule and must be reconfirmed locally. Accessed October 2026.
