Ghṛṣṇeśvara of Ellora
Tradition
Hindu / Shaiva
The Place
- Location: Verul (Ellora), Aurangabad, Maharashtra (20.0181°N, 75.1769°E)
Sacred Narrative
Ghṛṣṇeśvara — 12th and last of the 12 Jyotir-liṅgas — sits adjacent to the UNESCO-listed Ellora Cave complex (6th–10th c. CE). The temple is smaller than the other Jyotirlingas. The name comes from a legend of a devotee named Ghṛṣṇā whose son was drowned by a jealous co-wife; Shiva restored him. Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar (18th c.) rebuilt the current structure. Pilgrims traditionally complete the 12-Jyotirlinga yātra over a week.
Why This Entry Matters
India's sacred landscape embraces Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian, tribal, regional-folk traditions — each with its own cosmology and priestly lineage. This entry honours Hindu on its own terms.
Wisdom Graph: Divine Associations
MantraTradition-specific invocations
- Offerings
- tradition-specific
- Sacred colours
- tradition-specific
🪔 Worship Procedures
- Daily rites
- • tradition-specific daily observances
- Puja sequence
- tradition-specific
🛕 Principal Temples
- Main shrine of Ghṛṣṇeśvara of ElloraMedieval-modern📍 Verul (Ellora), Aurangabad, Maharashtra, IndiaFestivals: Annual festival · Weekly/seasonal special-day worshipGhṛṣṇeśvara — 12th of the 12 Jyotirlingas, adjacent to Ellora
🎊 Festivals
- Annual Ghṛṣṇeśvara of Ellora festivalSeasonally determined · 1–15 days
📜 Primary Scriptural Sources
- Primary texts of Hinduscriptural / devotional / folk
