Grishneshwar temple, Hindu temple in Verul village, Sambhajinagar district, India

Grishneshwar is a Shiva temple in Verul village, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, 1.5 km from the Ellora Caves. It is built of black stone over an area of 44,000 sq ft, with sculptures and fine designs on its interior and exterior walls. A tall carved stone tower with a ribbed finial rises above the shrine, and a large murti of Nandi stands in front of the main door.

The temple was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th and 14th centuries, then rebuilt and destroyed again during the Mughal-Maratha conflict. Maloji Bhosale, grandfather of Shivaji, first restored it in the 16th century. The present structure was built in 1729 with the sponsorship of queen Gautama Bai Holkar of Indore, after the fall of the Mughal Empire.

The name is explained in the Puranas through Ghushma, a devotee of Shiva who daily made 101 earthen lingas and immersed them in a pond; after her murdered son emerged alive from that pond, Shiva stayed here as a jyotirlinga. A large murti of Nandi stands in front of the main door, and men must enter the garbha-gruha bare-chested.

The shrine opens daily and allows visitors access to the inner area, where modest clothing is expected. The entrance sits close to the Ellora Caves, so both places can be visited easily in one day.

Male visitors must remove their upper garment before entering the inner chamber, which is an old ritual requirement. The shrine is considered one of twelve special Shiva shrines across India.