Grishneshwar Temple (also spelt Ghrishneshwar) sits at Verul village in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, about 1.5 km from the Ellora cave complex and 30 km north-west of Aurangabad city. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and the last one named in the traditional Dwadasa Jyotirlinga stotra (“Ghrishneshwaram cha Shivalaye”). The current black-stone temple was rebuilt in 1729 by Ahilyabai Holkar’s mother-in-law, Queen Gautamabai Holkar, after centuries of destruction and repair. The sanctum opens daily at 5:30 AM and runs through to about 9:30 PM, with extended hours through Shravan (July-August) and on Maha Shivaratri. This article covers the daily timings, the temple’s Hemadpanthi architecture, and how it fits with a same-day Ellora visit.
Daily timings
- Temple opens: 5:30 AM (Mangal aarti)
- Morning darshan: 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM (no fixed afternoon closure)
- Shravan month: extended hours 3:00 AM to 11:00 PM
- Sandhya aarti: 7:30 PM
Grishneshwar is one of the few Jyotirlingas without a long fixed afternoon closure on regular days; the doors stay open continuously. Mondays in Shravan and Maha Shivaratri are the heaviest days; on a regular weekday outside Shravan the sanctum darshan is usually under 30 minutes.
The Verul reconstruction of 1729
The site has a layered history. Maloji Bhosale (Shivaji’s grandfather) repaired the temple in the late 16th century after centuries of damage during the Delhi Sultanate. The Mughal-Maratha conflicts of the 17th century caused further destruction. The current structure was rebuilt in 1729 by Queen Gautamabai Holkar of Indore (the mother-in-law of Maharani Ahilyabai). The reconstruction restored the temple in dressed black stone in the Hemadpanthi style: square sabhamandap, low-set pillars carved with deity figures, and a shikhara of moderate height. The 44,000 sq ft compound includes a tall Nandi mandap facing the sanctum.
The Kusuma story
The traditional account in the Shiva Purana names the devotee Kusuma (in some retellings Ghushma or Ghrishna), a Shiva-bhakta who lived near Devagiri hill. She daily made 101 small lingams from river clay and immersed them in a tank after worship; her elder co-wife, jealous of Kusuma’s son, killed the boy and threw the body in the tank. Kusuma continued her daily worship without interruption. Shiva, satisfied with her steadfastness, restored the son and remained at the site as the Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga; the tank where Kusuma immersed her lingams is identified with the Shivalaya tirtha in the temple grounds.
Combining with Ellora and Daulatabad
Grishneshwar is 1.5 km from the Kailasa temple at Ellora (Cave 16), one of the largest rock-cut monolithic structures in the world. The natural route from Aurangabad covers, in a single day: Daulatabad fort (15 km from Aurangabad), Bibi-ka-Maqbara, the Aurangabad Caves, Ellora Caves (29 km from Aurangabad), and Grishneshwar (30 km). The ASI-managed Ellora cave site is closed on Tuesdays; plan the day around that closure if Ellora is part of the plan. The Grishneshwar temple is open seven days.
A practical opinion on the sequence
For what it’s worth, the natural sequence is Grishneshwar first thing in the morning (the temple is empty around the 5:30 AM opening), then Ellora caves from the 9:00 AM opening through the early afternoon, with lunch on the Ellora side, then Daulatabad fort late afternoon for sunset. People who do Ellora first and Grishneshwar after lunch often find the Kailasa cave more crowded than the temple, and the late-afternoon Grishneshwar visit feels rushed. The early-morning temple is the better aesthetic and the better darshan.
Dress code and entry rules
By local tradition, men are required to enter the inner sanctum bare-chested (shirt removed, wearing only a dhoti or trousers). Women wear saree or salwar-kameez. Photography and mobile phones are not allowed inside the inner sanctum; deposit them at the entry counter. Cameras are allowed in the outer prakara. Footwear is removed at the temple entrance. The dress-code rule has been formal at this temple for centuries and is enforced by temple staff at the doorway.
Reaching Grishneshwar
- From Aurangabad city: 30 km north-west via the Ellora road; 45 minutes by taxi or auto.
- From Ellora caves: 1.5 km; walking distance from the Ellora ticket counter.
- By rail: Aurangabad Junction (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Junction) is the main railhead.
- By air: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport (formerly Aurangabad Airport) is 35 km from the temple, with flights from Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune.
- From Mumbai: about 340 km north-east; overnight train or 7-hour drive.
Common questions
Is general darshan free?
Yes, general darshan is free. Special abhishekam and laghu rudra sevas are paid; the rates are published at the on-site counter. There is no authorised online VIP-darshan booking for Grishneshwar at the time of writing. On Maha Shivaratri and Shravan Mondays the temple committee operates a token-based queue system at the entrance.
Where to stay?
Most pilgrims stay at Aurangabad, where MTDC, Welcome Hotels, Vivanta, and many private hotels operate. The Ellora area has a few smaller hotels (Hotel Kailas, Hotel Heritage) within walking distance of Grishneshwar; these fill up during peak Ellora season. A day trip from Aurangabad is the standard plan.
When is the best time to visit?
October to March is the most comfortable for combining the temple with the Ellora caves. Summer (April to June) is very hot, with temperatures in Aurangabad routinely above 40 degrees Celsius. Monsoon (June to September) is pleasant but the Ellora cave-water can be muddy. For pure pilgrim purposes, Shravan Mondays (July-August) are atmospheric; for the combined heritage trip, the post-monsoon weeks are best.
One limitation worth noting
The dress code for the inner sanctum is enforced strictly, and the ban on cameras and phones inside the sanctum is unwavering. Aarti slot times shift during festivals and through Shravan; the schedule above is for regular days. Verify on the on-site notice board for current slots before festival visits.
For background see Grishneshwar Temple on Wikipedia and the temple trust site at ghrishneshwar.com.
