12 Grineshwar in Visalakam, near the Ellora caves, Maharashtra state.
There has to be legend associated with every temple. This one too is
no exception. There was once a devout woman Kusuma who was an ardent
devotee of Lord Shiva and she regularly immersed a Shivalingam in
a tank, as a part of her daily ritual worship. Her husband's first wife,
envious of her piety and standing in society murdered Kusuma's son in cold
blood. An aggrieved Kusuma continued her ritual worship, and when she immersed
the Shivalingam again in the tank, her son was miraculously restored to
life. Shiva is said to have appeared in front of her and the villagers,
and ever since then the shivalingam here has been worshipped in the form
of a Jyotirlinga Ghusmeshwar.
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Jyotir Lingam exists at Devagiri near Ellora. The Lord is known
by several names - Kusumeswarar, Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara, Grishneswara
There once lived a pious brahmin & his wife. He was a great devotee
of Siva. He was not blessed with a son. At the persuasion of
his family, he got married to Kusuma, in order to give him a son.
Kusuma was an even greater devotee of Lord Siva. Everyday she would
make one Siva Linga, worship it and then immerse it in the temple tank.
Soon she was blessed with boy baby. The first wife was seeting with
jealousy & ill treated Kusuma. Putting all her faith in the Lord,
Kusuma bore all the sufferings humbly. When the boy grew older, they
planned his wedding. The jealous first wife, killed the boy with
an axe.
Kusuma was deeply grieved, yet did not stop her daily worship of Lord
Siva. She continued to make the Lingam, worshipped & immersed
it in the tank. To the surprise of one and all, her son rose out
of the water one day, coming back to life.
Lord Siva apperaed before them & blessed them. He declared
that he would give darshan to devotees in his Jyotir Linga swarupam at
the same spot where Kusuma immersed the Lingams.
This Jyotir Lingam is considered to exist in two places, one at Devagiri
near Ellora & the other at the Kailasa temple at Ellora
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