Ghushmeshwar or Grishneshwar - the 12th Jyotirling. It is located nearby is the great Kailaash Temple of Elloraa carved out of a single rock. Built in the 8th century AD by the Raashtrakoot kings, it is a fine example of Indian temple architecture and iconography inspired by Shiv, Lord of all arts. This Temple is situated in the Village of Verul or Yelur where River Yala flows and is some 30 kms from Aurangaabaad. From Aurangaabaad, Elloraa is 30 kms, Ajantaa is 106 kms and Shiradee is 130 kms.

Legend Behind the Temple
On a mountain called Devgiri, there lived Sudharmaa with his wife Sudehaa. He was childless. Desperate for a child he married his wife Sudehaa's younger sister Ghushmaa (or Kusumaa) who was a great devotee of Shiv. In time Ghushmaa bore a son for him. Sudharmaa was very happy with his second wife and their son. Ghushmaa was in the habit of making Shiv Ling daily an immerse in a lake after worshipping it and doing Abhishek. Sudehaa, feeling left out, so she killed her step-son and threw his body in the same pond where Ghuhmaa used to immerse Shiv Ling after her worship. The whole household was plunged in grief. Ghushmaa, a great Shiv Bhakt, accepted this as the will of her Lord and continued her worship. When she went to the pond to collect water for her daily worship of Shiv, the Lord showed her the corpse of her son. He even offered to kill the wicked Sudehaa, but Ghushmaa was not interested in revenge. She accepted her fate without regret. Pleased with his devotee, Shiv brought her child to life and asked her to ask for any Var. She asked that he should always live in the pond. So he decided to stay there as Ghushmeshwar or Ghrishneshwar or Kusumeshwar, the Lord of Ghushmaa.