Famous Religious Places In Mumbai

 Mumbai is known as the economic and commercial capital of India, also popularly referred to as the ‘City that never sleeps’. While there are various places to visit in Mumbai and markets to indulge in retail therapy, today we will be little spiritual and talk about the most beautiful and visited temples in Mumbai. Mumbai is home to thousands of temples and each one has diverse architectural style, tradition and religious legacy. Here is a list of some of the most famous temples in Mumbai. 

1. Mumbadevi temple

Mumba Devi Mandir is an old temple in Mumbai. The name Mumbai is derived from Mumba Devi. This temple was built in honour of the Goddess Amba. The Mumbadevi temple is six centuries old. The first Mumbadevi temple was situated at Bori Bunder, and is believed to have been destroyed between 1739 and 1770. After the destruction a new temple was erected at the same place at Bhuleshwar. The Goddess personifies Mother Earth and is still worshipped by the Hindus. The Goddess Mumbadevi dressed in a robe with a silver crown, a nose stud and a golden necklace. To the left is a stone figure of Annapurna seated on a peacock. In front of the shrine is a tiger, the carrier of the Goddess.

2. Mahalakshmi Temple 

Mahalakshmi Temple is one of the most famous temples of Mumbai situated on Bhulabhai Desai Road in Mahalaxmi area. It is dedicated to Mahalakshmi the central deity of Devi Mahatmyam. The temple was built in 1831 by Dhakji Dadaji, a Hindu merchant. The Mahalaxmi temple contains images of the Tridevi goddesses Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati. All three images are adorned with nose rings, gold bangles and pearl necklaces. The image of Mahalakshmi is in the center shown holding lotus flowers in tandem. The compound of this temple contains several stalls that sell flower garlands and other paraphernalia used by devotees for worship and as offering. During the Navratri Festival, the temple is decorated and sees devotees from all over the country.

3. Babulnath Temple

Babulnath Temple (Babulnath Mandir) is an ancient Shiva mandir in Mumbai, India. Situated on a small hillock near Girgaon Chowpatty and its just 15 minutes away from Marine Lines Railway Station, it is one of oldest mandirs in the city . Shiva within the style of the Lord of the Babul tree is the main god in this temple. The devotees climb up to the mandir and acquire Darshan of the shivling and obtain blessings of the Lord. The temples is visited by lakhs of devotees on annual Mahashivratri festival. This temple is built in Marathi style architecture. Many devotees from abroad come to visit this temple. Talking about the name of the temple, it is said that a cowherd had shown the Shivling located in this temple to his guru Shri Pandurang. Whose name was Babylon. That is why this temple was named as Shri Babulnath.

4. Siddhivinayak Temple

The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shri Ganesh. It is located in Prabhadevi. It was originally built by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil on 19 November 1801. It is one of the richest temples in India. The temple has a small mandap with the shrine for Siddhi Vinayak. The wooden doors to the sanctum are carved with images of the Ashtavinayak. The inner roof of the sanctum is plated with gold, and the central statue is of Ganesha. In the periphery, there is a Hanuman temple as well. The exterior of the temple consists of a dome which is lit up with multiple colors in the evenings and they keep changing every few hours. The statue of Shri Ganesha is located exactly under the dome. The pillars are carved out with the images of ashtvinayak. Siddhivinayak is well known as "Navsacha Ganapati" or "Navasala Pavanara Ganapati" among devotees.

5. Haji Ali Dargah

The Haji Ali Dargah is a mosque and dargah or the monument of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari located on an islet off the coast of Worli in the southern Mumbai. An exquisite example of Indo-Islamic Architecture, associated with legends about doomed lovers, the dargah contains the tomb of Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. Bukhari was a Sufi saint and a wealthy merchant from Uzbekistan. Near the heart of the city proper, the dargah is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Mumbai. 

6. Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple, ISKCON Temple

ISCKON Temple is a divine and spiritual getaway from all the hustle and bustle of the capital city of Mumbai. Dedicated to Lord Krishna who is considered as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu, the temple is clad in marble and glass. Meters away from the Juhu Beach, incorporating Iskcon Temple in your weekend plans might just be the perfect peaceful escape you are looking for. The ISCKON Temple has an impressive architecture and paintings on the temple walls depict scenes from the Mahabharata. The best time to visit ISKCON temple is early in the morning when the deities are decorated with flowers. A charged ambience with the humming of mantras from devotees during the daily morning and evening Aarti and the delicious Prasad served just after is a must during a visit to this place.

7. Mount Mary Church

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, commonly known as Mount Mary Church, is a Roman Catholic Basilica located in Bandra, Mumbai. Even though the church tower is 100 years old, the history of the current statue of Our Lady dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal got the statue to the current place and built a chapel. The statue has a fascinating history. It is told that a Koli fisherman had a dream of finding a statue in the sea, and the statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760. The Jesuit Annual Letter, which is dated 1669 and was published in the book of St. Andrew’s Church, Bandra (1616–1966), confirms this fact. The Koli Fishermen refer to the statue as Mot Mauli, which means ‘The Pearl Mother.’ Mot started being referred to as “mount” and Mauli, meaning “Mother.” The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated here on the first Sunday after 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. The feast is followed by a week-long celebration known locally as the Bandra Fair, which thousands of people visit.

8. Global Vipassana Pagoda

One of Mumbai’s unique attractions is the Global Vipassana Pagoda. This monument is a tribute to the philosophies of Lord Gautama Budda and draws in thousands of visitors annually. The Global Vippassana Pagoda is considered as a landmark of peace and the abode of tranquility. It is a meditation dome in the outskirts of Mumbai, which is built as a tribute to Sayagyi U Ba Khin, a Vipassana teacher from Myanmar. Situated among the green and peaceful environment of Gorai Island, Global Vipassana Meditation Pagoda Mumbai is one of the Seven Wonders of Maharashtra. It is also one of the must-visit tourist spots in Mumbai. The dome resembles the Shwedagon Pagoda of Myanmar. It is the world’s largest stone dome standing without any supporting pillars and here, 8000 people can meditate at a time. Global Vipassana Pagoda follows the values of Gautam Buddha and spreads his teachings. Apart from the large main dome, Global Vipassana Pagoda complex has two smaller domes, namely North Pagoda and South Pagoda. Then, there is a seated Buddha statue, carved out of a single marble rock. 

9. Mahim Dargah of Shah Makhdoom Fakih Ali Mahimi

Makhdoom Ali Mahimi Shafi'i (1372–1431 A.D) was a saint and scholar of international repute. He lived during the time of the Tughlaq dynasty and that of Sultan Ahmed Shah of Gujarat. Mahimi was born into a family of Arab travelers from Iraq who had settled down on the island of Mahim. The Mahim Dargah or Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah of Gujarat in 1431 at the burial site of Makhtum Fakir Ali Paru, a Sufi saint who was the Qazi of Mahim. Also known as Makhdoom Ali Mahimi, he was born in an Arab family which settled in Mahim. The Sufi saint and his shrine is revered by both Hindus and Muslims. There is a 10 day Urs festival in December which draws a large number of pilgrims. Interestingly Makhdoom Ali Mahimi is also the patron saint of the Mumbai Police. 

10. Chaitya Bhoomi ( Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Memorial) is a Buddhist chaitya and the cremation place of B. R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. It is situated besides Dadar Chowpatty (beach), Mumbai. Chaitya Bhoomi is a revered place of pilgrimage for Ambedkar's followers, who visit in millions annually on his death anniversary (Mahaparinirvan Diwas) on 6 December. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Governor, the Minister and many other politicians pay tribute to Ambedkar every year on 6 December in Chaitya Bhoomi. Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, has also visited. Chaitya Bhoomi hosts a memorial to Ambedkar and has been graded an A-class tourism and pilgrimage site by the Government of Maharashtra.

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