Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai

The Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai situated at Prabhadevi in 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”.

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 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 the society. It operates a Dialysis Center, conducts blood and health camps and provides free eye checkups.

Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai History

The Government documents related to the Temple history state that the Temple was consecrated on 19 November 1801.

As per historical records, the original shrine of Sri Siddhivinayak was a small brick structure with a dome-shaped Shikhara.

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

A significant legend associated with the Siddhivinayak temple Mumbai is that of the famous Sanyasi Saint Sri Ramakrishna Jambhekar Maharaj. He was believed to be an ardent devotee of Lord Ganesha. Once, Swami Samarth who was his Guru asked him to procure four divine idols of Lord Ganesha. He asked him to bury two idols in front of the house of another disciple Sri Cholappa. He instructed him to bury the other two in front of Lord Ganesha’s abode.

Sri Jambhekar had a vision that a Mandar tree will grow on the place where the idols are buried and after 21 years, a Swayambhu Ganesha will appear at the place. After the occurrence of the tree, the devotion at the place increased manifolds.

Later on, Sri Jambhekar Maharaj directed priest Govind Chintaman Pathak to look after the temple duties and rituals. His successors are following the rituals at the Temple till date.

Significance of Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai

The representation of the deity, Lord Ganesha is one of the unique features of the Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai. The idol of Ganesha has four hands of which the upper right and upper left hold a lotus and a small axe respectively. The lower right-hand holds a chain of holy beads and the lower left-hand holds a bowl of Modaks.

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

It is believed that anyone who believes in the Lord and prays to him with genuine devotion, will get his or her wishes fulfilled.

The Temple is one of the richest temple complexes in Mumbai city, receiving patronage from politicians, Bollywood and businessmen.

Dress code at Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai

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.

Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai Timings

• Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai opens at 5:30 AM and closes at 10 PM.
• The Kakad Aarti or the morning Aarti starts at 5:30 AM (Wednesday – Monday) and at 3:15 AM on Tuesday.
• The evening Aarti is performed between 7:30 PM to 8 PM.
• The Shej Aarti starts at 9:30 PM (Wednesday-Monday) and at 12:30 AM on Tuesdays.

Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai Sevas and Poojas

• 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 honors the Brahmin priest for performing the Havan.
• 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.
• Ashtottar Nama Pooja – The Pooja involves the recital of 108 names of Lord Vinayaka among chants praising him and invoking his blessings.
• 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.
• Sahastravartan Pooja – In this special Pooja, a silver image of Lord Ganesha is worshiped. The Shodashopachara Pooja is first performed for the Lord followed by Abhishek with Milk. Ths Pooja is performed for family harmony, healthy and long life, financial happiness and for bearing an heir to a family.
• 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 the God after which Aarti is conducted. This Pooja is performed for the birth of a child, financial growth, wedding, and for a prosperous family life.

Festivals celebrated at Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai

• 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 modakas 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 is free from all ill-effects.

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

How to reach Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai

• 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.

Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai Accommodation

A large number of hotels, lodges and guesthouses are available for tourists. Since Mumbai is a coastal city, there are several options of staying in beach front 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.

Nearby Temples

• Mahalakshmi Temple – The famous Mahalakshmi Temple is located 6 km from Siddhivinayak Temple. The presiding deity is Goddess Mahalakshmi as 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 Navarathri.
• 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 worshiped by many as Kuladevi.