Ghusmeswara, Maharastra

The Ghusmeswara Temple is situated in Visalakam at Devagiri ½km from the Ellora caves, Maharastra. This Shiva Lingam is known by several names - Grishneswara, Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara, Kusumeswarar.

* The four Jyotir lingams of Maharastra is: Mahakaleswar, Triyambakeswar, Bhimashankar and Ghusmeswara.

Text is under editing - sorry for any inconvinience!

The Ghusmeswara Jyotir Lingam

The Yoni of this Jyotir Lingam is very similar to the Triyambakeswara Yoni, both the same shape and imbedded in the floor. The lingam is apr. 25cm high and formed as an oval Shiva Lingam.

The Ghusmeawara Lingam is considered to exist in two places, one at Devagiri near Ellora and the other at the Kailasa temple at the Ellora caves. The Kailasha Temple is carved in the rock and is the worlds largest rock temple.

Legend

Once there lived a pious brahmin and his wife. The brahmin was a great devotee of Shiva, but was not blessed with a son. In order to give him a son the family persuaded him to matty Kusuma. She was an even greater devotee of Lord Siva. Everyday she would make a Shiva Lingam, worship it and then immerse it in the temple tank. Soon she was blessed with a baby boy. The first wife was ill with jealousy and treated Kusuma very badly. Putting all her faith in the Lord, Kusuma humbly bore all the sufferings.

As the boy grew older, they soon started planning his wedding. The first wife, who was very jealous, killed the boy with an axe. Kusuma was deeply grieved, yet she continued her daily worship of Lord Shiva. She made the Lingam, worshipped it and immersed it in the temple tank. To everybody's surprise, her son came back to life and rose out of the water. Lord Shiva appeared before them and blessed them. He declared that he would give darshan to devotees in his Jyotir Linga Swarupam (in the form of a Jyotir Linga) at the same spot where Kusuma immersed the Lingams.

Arriving at the Ghusmeswara Temple