Shree Siddhivinayak Temple Guide – Timings, Poojas, and History

Shree Siddhivinayak Temple is one of the oldest sacred temples dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Situated in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, is one of the most popular and sacred temples dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The name Siddhivinayak means “Vinayak who grants one’s wishes.” The Lord is known locally as “Navasacha Ganapati” and “Navasala Pavanara Ganapati.” In Marathi, it means “Ganapati grants a wish whenever prayed with genuine devotion.”

Siddhivinayak Temple – Facts

What are the timings of Siddhivinayak Temple?

The temple timings vary depending on the day. However, the temple performs various rituals every day. The devotees can be a part of these rituals, such as the morning, afternoon, and evening poojas.

• For all days except Tuesdays: The temple opens at 5:30 AM and closes after the last aarti (Shejaarti).

• On Tuesdays: The temple opens at 3:15 AM and closes at midnight after the last aarti (Shejaarti).

• On Sankashti Chaturthi: The temple opens at 4:30 AM and closes after the last aarti (Shejaarti) which takes place 90 minutes after Moonrise.

The Shree Darshan starts soon after the Kakad Aarti until 90 minutes before Moonrise.

• On Vinayaki Chaturthi: The temple opens at 5:30 AM and closes after the last aarti (Shejaarti).

Devotees are not permitted in the main temple from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM when the Mahabhishek is performed.

What are the poojas and sevas at Siddhivinayak Temple?

1. Atharva Sheesha Havan: The Havan is performed by a team of priests on behalf of the devotee. The Havan is performed to receive the Lord’s blessings and removing any obstacles in his or her life. The Pooja begins with the Ganesh Pooja, followed by the Punyahavacham, Nandishraddha, Grahmukh and finally the invocation of the God of Fire (Agni). The Navagraha Pooja is performed followed by the offering of the Modakas to the Agni. Following the Pooja, the devotee honours the Brahmin priest for performing the Havan.
2. Panchamrut Pooja: The idol of the deity is bathed with five holy items – Milk, Honey, Sugar, Ghee, and Curd. The ritual takes place among the chants of several hymns and shlokas.
3. Ashtottar Nama Pooja: The Pooja involves the recital of 108 names of Lord Vinayaka among chants praising him and invoking his blessings.
4. Shodashopachara Pooja: This is the first step of the ritual of any Pooja that is performed for any God. This Pooja involves 16 steps or parts. These are Upachara, Avahana, Asana, Padaprakshalana, Hastaprakshalana, Achamanam, Snanam, Vastram, Yagyopaveetam, Gandham, Pushpam, Dhupam, Deepam, Naivedyam, Tambulam, Neerajanam, and Mantrapushpam.
5. Sahastravartan Pooja: In this special Pooja, a silver image of Lord Ganesha is worshipped. The Shodashopachara Pooja is first performed for the Lord followed by Abhishek with Milk. This Pooja is performed for family harmony, healthy and long life, financial happiness and forbearing an heir to a family.
6. Sri Satya Vinayaka Pooja: This pooja is generally performed by people whose family deity is Lord Ganesha. The auspicious days to perform this Pooja are Tuesdays, Fridays, full moon days, Vaisakha Poornima and Ganesh Chaturthi. In the temple, the Shodashopachar Pooja is performed followed by Sahasra Namam Pooja. Naivedyam is offered to God after which Aarti is conducted. This Pooja is performed for the birth of a child, financial growth, wedding, and prosperous family life.

What is the significance of Siddhivinayak Temple?

The significance of the temple is that idol of the deity is carved out of a single black stone with the Lord’s trunk tilted towards the right. It is quite unusual for a Ganesha idol’s trunk to not be left-sided, making the temple very sacred.

The idol consists of four hands, Chaturbhuj, each adorned with the elephant god’s sacred items. While the upper right-hand holds a lotus flower, he wields an axe in his upper left arm, holy beads in the lower right and a bowl full of Modaks in the lower left. On his either sides are goddesses Riddhi and Siddhi, who bestow the devotees with prosperity and riches.

The Goddesses Riddhi and Siddhi who represent sanctity, attainment, prosperity, and riches flank Lord Ganesh on both sides. On the Lord’s forehead, the third eye of Lord Shiva can be seen.

Shree Siddhivinayak is known as Navascha Ganapati in Marathi as it is said that he grants all the wishes of those who pray to him sincerely. It is also one of the wealthiest temples in the county and is visited by all kinds of people, ranging from celebrities to common man.

What is the history of Siddhivinayak Temple?

The history of the temple raises back in time about 200 years ago is prevalent to this date. Shree Akkalkot Swami Samarth’s adherent, Late Shree Ramakrishna Jambhekar Maharaj attained Siddhi. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Ganesha and the Gayatri Mantra. One day, he buried idols of the gods outside a disciple’s courtyard. He prophesied that a Mandar tree would grow in its place and the elephant god would reside in there. 21 years later, as the tree grew, so did people’s faith. 

A more popular story is that of an Agri woman, Shreemati Deubai Patil. Rendered childless due to infertility, she funded the construction of the temple with a prayer that the Lord bless women like her with children.

Established in 1801, the temple is more than 200 years old. What was originally a small place of worship, Shree Siddhivinayak was rebuilt into a majestic temple complex of 2550 square feet in 1993.

In 1952, a small Hanuman Temple was consecrated within the temple complex. The idol of Lord Hanuman was excavated during a road extension project.

What is the structure of Siddhivinayak Temple?

The initial shrine was small and had a lake next to it. However, the lake was filled up and currently is not part of the temple complex. Currently, the temple is an imposing six-storied multi-angular structure.

The sanctum sanatorium (Gabhara) is right under a 12 feet high dome with the gold plated Kalash weighing 1500 kgs at its pinnacle.

The central dome is gold plated while the other domes are plated with Panchadhaatu (five metals- gold, silver, copper, brass, and bronze). The second floor houses the temple kitchen and the fourth houses a collection of more than 8000 books related to religion, philosophy, and science.

Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai also conducts social and cultural activities for the welfare of society. It operates a Dialysis Center, conducts blood and health camps and provides free eye checkups.

What is the dress code at Siddhivinayak Temple?

The Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai does not have a strict dress code but recommends decent clothes for men and women. Shorts and miniskirts are to be avoided. Beachwear and other revealing dresses are not allowed inside the premises.

What are the festivals celebrated at Siddhivinayak Temple?

• Ganesha Chaturthi: The biggest celebration dedicated to Lord Ganesha is held in a grand manner at the Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai during August – September. The celebrations last for 10 days and the last day are named as “Ananta Chaturdashi”. In preparation for the festivities, a giant clay idol of the Lord is made 2-3 months in advance. The idol is then placed on a giant pedestal and decorated with garlands. The idol is installed at the temple in a ritual known as the Pranaprathishtha Pooja. Vedic hymns and Shlokas are chanted to appease the Lord. Offerings like coconut, jaggery and modaks are made to the Lord to receive his blessings. The temple receives lakhs of pilgrims during these ten days to catch a glimpse of the majestic deity. On the eleventh day, the idol is taken out in a grand procession amidst singing and dancing on devotional songs. The idol is then immersed in the sea, bidding adieu to the Lord who proceeds to his home in Kailash.
• Sankashti Chaturthi: The auspicious dates fall on the fourth day of the Krishna Paksha or the waning phase of the moon every month of the Hindu calendar. The day is extremely sacred to Ganesha devotees worldwide, who observe fast on these days. The importance of the day is mentioned in the Puranas like the Narasimha Purana and the Bhavishaya Purana. It is believed that Lord Krishna himself explained the importance of the Pooja to Yudhishthar of the Pandavas. On this day, the temple performs important Poojas to the Lord to remove obstacles in the devotee’s life and grant prosperity. Mahapuja is performed for the deity by reciting the Purush Sukt, Brahmanaspati Sukt, Atharva Sheersha, Ganapati Sukt and the Saraswati Sukt.
• Hanuman Jayanti: The day marks the birth of Lord Hanuman. The festival is celebrated in the month of Chaithra in Maharashtra. On this day, special religious discourses and Poojas are held for the Lord which begin at dawn and end after sunrise. It is believed that the Lord was born at sunrise on this auspicious day.
• Akshaya Tritiya: The auspicious day is celebrated in the month of May in the Temple. Special Poojas dedicated to the Lord are performed on the day. It is believed that the benefits of doing Jaap, Yagya, and Punya will never diminish but remain forever with the devotee. Along with Ugadi and Vijayadasami, Akshaya Tritiya is believed to be one of the days that are free from all ill-effects.

Besides these festivals, Gudi Parva, Ram Navami, Ganga Dussehra, Nag Panchami, Gokulashtami, Navaratri and Mahashivaratri are some of the other joyous occasions celebrated at the temple premises.

How to reach Siddhivinayak Temple?

• By Air: The distance from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport to the Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai is 15 km and takes about an hour depending on the traffic conditions. One can hire a taxi from the airport to Prabhadevi. Mumbai is the financial capital of India and is well connected to all major cities of the country via major airlines.
• By Train: Dadar is the nearest railway station and is a ten-minute ride to the Temple complex from here. Local trains ply between Dadar and major railway stations like the CST Terminal, Churchgate and Santacruz. Mumbai CST Terminal is well connected to all major cities of the country.
• By Road: The city of Mumbai is connected to all major nearby cities like Panaji, Pune, Thane, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Surat via wide national highways. The state transport operated government buses from all important towns and cities of Maharashtra. The private bus service also operates regular buses in and out of the city. The city also boasts of good local transport connectivity by buses and taxis.

Where to stay?

A large number of hotels, lodges and guesthouses are available for tourists. Since Mumbai is a coastal city, there are several options for staying in beachfront villas and hotels. The pricing of rooms is on a higher side in the city. The city boasts of several five-star hotels such as the Taj, Trident, and the Four Seasons. One can also book guesthouses like the one run by ISKCON.

Where to eat?

Mumbai is one of the best cosmopolitan cities to experience a wide range of delicacies. One can find an incomparable range of cuisines like Maharashtrian, Coastal, North-Indian, Mughlai and Muslim food, South-Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Thai and European.

The options to taste these delicacies range from excellent seven-star hotels to local cafes and dhabas that are dispersed through this huge city. The chaats are a must-have at the Juhu and the Chowpatty beach. Vada Pav and Pavbhaji are a must-try. The Khao Gully in Colaba is particularly famous for its Maharashtrian food.

What are some places to visit near Siddhivinayak Temple?

• Mahalakshmi Temple: The famous Mahalakshmi Temple is located 6 km from Siddhivinayak Temple. The presiding deity is Goddess Mahalakshmi is a form of Goddess Shakti or Adi Parashakti. The Temple was built in 1785. The deity is represented by her three forms – Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. The Temple is famous for its yearly grand celebrations of the festival Navaratri.
• Mumba Devi Mandir: The deity of the famous temple is Maha Amba, known as Mumba in Marathi. The Goddess is the patron deity of the Fishermen of Mumbai, the original inhabitants of the city. The city of Mumbai is named after the Goddess. The original temple dated back to the 15th century. However, it was destroyed and the new structure was built in the 18th century.
• Sri Radha Rasabihari Ji Temple, ISKCON: The temple complex is located near the Juhu beach. The presiding deities of the temple are Sri Gaura-Nitai, Sri Radha Rasabihari and Sri Sita – Ram, Lakshman and Hanuman. The temple is an architectural landmark and is visited by thousands of devotees and tourists every day.
• Swaminarayan Temple: The temple dedicated to Sri Swaminarayan is situated in the Bhuleshwar area of Mumbai. The Temple is nearly 100 years old. The Temple follows the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. The tri-spire structure houses the deities Hari Krishna, Gaulokvihari and Radha, Laxminarayan Dev and Ghanshyam Maharaj.
• Jogeshwari caves: The cave temples of Jogeshwari in Mumbai are some of the earliest cave shrines dedicated to both Hinduism and Buddhism. They date back to 550 AD. The cave complex is used as a temple by the locals who worship the ancient idols of Lord Shiva, Hanuman, Ganesha and Lord Dattatreya. It is believed that the cave also enshrines the footprints of Goddess Jogeshwari who is worshipped by many as Kuladevi.

Frequently Asked Questions about Siddhivinayak Temple