Date: 6-May-17 & 7-May-17
Place: Grushneshwar & Ellora caves, Auranganbad, Maharashtra
people: My wife, son & myself.
We plan to visit Grushneshwar jyothirlinga during this May month as it is annual vacation for Prashanth, our son. Grushneshwar is almost 230 KMs from Pune. I searched in internet & selected Ellora Heritage resort for our stay. Its infact very near to both Grushneshwar & Ellora caves.
On 6-May (Saturday), we started from Pune @ around 8.30am.
Drive through Ahmednagar, towards Aurangabad, neat smooth roads on the way.
Though there were traffic while we reach Aurangabad, the road towards Verul village where we need to go for Grushneshwar is very clear, congestion free, with trees on both sides of the road, that made our road trip pleasant on a summer afternoon.
Reached the destination, the resort, around 2pm. After check-in, pay the rent in cash and came to room, there's power cut as well no generator backup available. Ordered lunch, relaxed in full sweat under hot sun till 5pm after which we left to temple.
Grushneshwar is just 2 KMs away from resort, in a narrow lane, shops on both sides, covered from top to provide sun shade, hiding all views to the temple tower. The below tower, just opposite to the jyothirlinga temple is Chhatrapathi Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhosale's memorial - it seems, I read in one other blog.
The road to the temple as shown in below foto.
and a quick selfie before we enter inside.
As usual quick foto graphers available to make business, who clicked this foto for us.
The temple is quiet small when compared with all other jyothirlinga temples - as far as I know, with the only & only main sanctum in the center. All people (some 20+) entering into the temple, within seconds, were standing inside the main sanctum, rushing and leaning one over the other, to touch the jyothirling and shower on him, the flowers they brought. A little disciplined move may help everyone but ...... thats our India.
We did abhishek and a round around the temple. Very quiet environment, litter free, mild Nama Shivaya sound from somewhere and peace everywhere.
By 7pm, all shops around were closed. No coffee tea chai, snacks and the village already in deep sleep. We came back to resort, had dinner and slept.
Next day, by 8am, after break fast we check-out & onward journey to Ellora caves, just 2 KMs from resort. You can read in wikipedia or many other online resources about the place. Quick foto fotographer clicked this while the other snaps below were clicked by my wife.
By 11.30, we left Ellora; visit to Paithani sarees center and bought a one as it seems is famous, hand made around that area only.
Nice rainy weather and it did rain on the way back to Pune.
By 5pm Sunday evening, we reached Pune at our house. Thank you for joining us.
Place: Grushneshwar & Ellora caves, Auranganbad, Maharashtra
people: My wife, son & myself.
We plan to visit Grushneshwar jyothirlinga during this May month as it is annual vacation for Prashanth, our son. Grushneshwar is almost 230 KMs from Pune. I searched in internet & selected Ellora Heritage resort for our stay. Its infact very near to both Grushneshwar & Ellora caves.
On 6-May (Saturday), we started from Pune @ around 8.30am.
Though there were traffic while we reach Aurangabad, the road towards Verul village where we need to go for Grushneshwar is very clear, congestion free, with trees on both sides of the road, that made our road trip pleasant on a summer afternoon.
Reached the destination, the resort, around 2pm. After check-in, pay the rent in cash and came to room, there's power cut as well no generator backup available. Ordered lunch, relaxed in full sweat under hot sun till 5pm after which we left to temple.
Grushneshwar is just 2 KMs away from resort, in a narrow lane, shops on both sides, covered from top to provide sun shade, hiding all views to the temple tower. The below tower, just opposite to the jyothirlinga temple is Chhatrapathi Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhosale's memorial - it seems, I read in one other blog.
and a quick selfie before we enter inside.
As usual quick foto graphers available to make business, who clicked this foto for us.
The temple is quiet small when compared with all other jyothirlinga temples - as far as I know, with the only & only main sanctum in the center. All people (some 20+) entering into the temple, within seconds, were standing inside the main sanctum, rushing and leaning one over the other, to touch the jyothirling and shower on him, the flowers they brought. A little disciplined move may help everyone but ...... thats our India.
We did abhishek and a round around the temple. Very quiet environment, litter free, mild Nama Shivaya sound from somewhere and peace everywhere.
By 7pm, all shops around were closed. No coffee tea chai, snacks and the village already in deep sleep. We came back to resort, had dinner and slept.
Next day, by 8am, after break fast we check-out & onward journey to Ellora caves, just 2 KMs from resort. You can read in wikipedia or many other online resources about the place. Quick foto fotographer clicked this while the other snaps below were clicked by my wife.
By 11.30, we left Ellora; visit to Paithani sarees center and bought a one as it seems is famous, hand made around that area only.
Nice rainy weather and it did rain on the way back to Pune.
By 5pm Sunday evening, we reached Pune at our house. Thank you for joining us.