|
 Ghrishneshwar
Temple is a very revered temple, situated in the state of Maharashtra.
It lies very near to the Buddhist caves of Ellora, only half a kilometer
away, and serves as the abode of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India
dedicated to Lord Shiva. Even the Ajanta Caves and Dulatabad town of
Maharashtra are situated nearby. The temple, with exquisitely sculpted
walls, was built under the patronage of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, one of
the rulers of the erstwhile state of Indore.
Grishneshwar Temple, also known as Ghushmeshwar, has a very interesting
legend attached to it. It is said that there was once a very religious
woman, known as Kusuma, who used to worship Lord Shiva on a daily basis.
She used to immerse His Shivalingam in a tank, as a part of her everyday
prayer. Her husband had a second wife, who got jealous of the devotion
of Kusuma and her resultant respect in the society. In a fit of rage and
resentment, she murdered Kusuma's son.
Kusuma became extremely depressed when she came to know that her son had
been killed. However, she continued worshipping the Lord. It is said
that when she immersed the lingam into the tank, after her the death of
her son, he miraculously came back to life again. The legend further
goes that at that time, Lord Shiva appeared before Kusuma as well as the
villagers. It is said that on Kusuma's request, Lord Shiva manifested
Himself at the very site, in the form of the Jyotirlinga Ghusmeshwar.
From then onwards, the temple is highly revered by people and attracts
devotees from far and wide.
|
|
