The Siddhivinayak Temple the most famous temple of Mumbai. The temple was built on on 19 November 1801. It was made by the contractor Shri Laxman Vithu and it was funded by Agri women Deubai Patil. Everyday more than 20,000 devotees visit the temple.
Tuesday is considered to be a special day for Lord Ganesh devotees. The entry is free but there is also a paid entry with a special pass for direct entry into the temple.
Inside the Temple:
– The idol of Lord Ganesh is sculpted from a single black stone, which is about 2 feet tall.
– The trunk of the Ganesh idol is tilted towards its right and the figure is represented with 4 hands.
– The wooden doors to the sanctum are carved with images of the Ashtavinayak (the eight manifestations of Ganesha in Maharashtra).
– The inner roof of the sanctum is plated with gold, and the central statue is of Ganesha.
– On both sides of the idol, figures of ‘Goddess Riddhi’ and ‘Goddess Siddhi’ are mounted.
History
It was constructed on 19 November 1801. The original structure of the Siddhivinayak Temple was a small 3.6 metre x 3.6 metre square brick structure with a dome-shaped brick shikhara. The temple was built by the contractor Laxman Vithu Patil. The building was funded by a rich Agri woman named Deubai Patil. Childless due to infertility, Deaubai built the temple so that Ganesha should grant children to other infertile women. Ramakrishna Jambhekar Maharaj, a disciple of the Hindu saint Akkalkot Swami Samarth, buried two divine idols in the front of the presiding deity of the temple on the orders of his guru. It is claimed that after 21 years of the burial of the icons, a mandar tree grew at that spot with a svayambhu Ganesha in its branches – as prophesied by Swami Samartha. (history excerpt from Wikipedia)
Live Online Darshan:
One can have a direct access to watch the Siddhivinayak Ganesh darshan live at: http://www.siddhivinayak.org/virtual_darshan.asp
Pooja booking office timings: Daily between 06.00 am to 09.00 pm at Gate no. 3 booking counter.
Online Pooja booking and Donations
How To Reach:
Local Trains – Dadar is the nearest station for the temple.
BEST Bus nos. – 83, 84, AS-4, AS-3, AS-9, 27, 28, 33, 37, 39, 53, 81 ltd, 85, 86, 87 ltd, 92 ltd, 93 ltd, 165, 169, 324, 351, 385, 521 ltd.
Address and Contact:
Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust
S. K. Bole Road, Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India – 400 028
Phone No.: 91-022-24223206, 24222072
Fax No. 91-022-24221558
website: http://www.siddhivinayak.org
Also read: Other reiligious places in Mumbai
