Siddhi Vinayak Temple, Mumbai with Pictures

My Dear Friends,
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Last week when I was travelling a divine voice echoed in my ears. It was the voice of Shree Ganesha! He wanted me to right an article on Siddi Vinayak Temple in Mumbai. I was reluctant and told him, it cannot be possible as I will not be able to do justice to the post and when there are numerable sites on the net, my post is a small fry in the pan. He asked me to go ahead with the post and here I am posting to you. Dearies, I am just following the lords order and am not sure if this post will be of any help to travellers looking for it in Mumbai. Ganesha, guide me is the only prayer I have now. Please be patient with me, if you do not find the post up to the mark. I bow towards the Lord’s order.
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Ganapati Bappa Morya!
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Siddhi Vinayak Temple is located at Prabhadevi, Dadar, Mumbai. Devotees from all walks of life throng to this temple especially on Tuesdays. ‘Ask and you get’ is what Ganesha says and he has never let down any of his devotees who visit this temple for worship. Tuesday is the most auspicious day to visit the Lord. Devotees wait in queues for hours for their turns, some choose to pay for the darshan while some have VIP Entry. Shree decides the fate of his devotees and when he raises his trunk and places it on your head, there is no looking back. Ask Sonu Nigam who was a struggler trying to carve a niche in the field of singing, but a regular visitor of Siddhi Vinayak, fame beckoned him and he hoisted his flag with the acclaimed singers in Bollywood. Whenever he is Mumbai, he still visits the famous temple. Big B with all his ailments walks his way from Juhu to the temple to seek Ganesha’s blesings. Last time he was found walking with his spouse (Jaya), son (Abhi Baby) and daughter-in-law (Ash). Amitabh (AB / Big B) has donated a silver mouse to the temple in the year 2007. He whispers his requests in the ears of the Mouse and waits for them to be granted. We are all aware of the accidental blow on his stomach during his shoot for the movie Coolie, which was nearly fatal in the early 80’s. Bachchan family had taken to all Gods begging to seek the favour of life for AB and Siddhi Vinayak was one of them. The lord heard their prayers and brought AB back from the mouth of death. AB donated a Golden crown to Siddhi Vinayak. Ekta Kapoor visits the temple with the family. Sanju baba also visited the temple to seek the blessings of the mighty lord after being released from the prison. Siddhi Vinayak has been the lord of support to millions of Mumbaikars and devotees from all parts of the world who come to the city to have a darshan of the lord.
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Prabhadevi gears up with explicit traffic rules on Tuesdays, the queue is serpentine and tiresome growing with every passing minute. Trains and buses are over crowded on Tuesdays as devotees congregate to have a glimpse of their favourite deity. During Angarika Chaturthi, devotees throng the temple overnight to queue up to have a glimpse of their favourite lord, which is sure to take 6 to 7 hours. The temple is flooded with devotees for more than 24 hours on Angarika Chaturthi. The queue is flooded with young and not so young and old devotees patiently waiting for their turn. Remember, on this day, devotees fast rigorously and not even have tea or coffee. Fainting is common and some good Samaritans move around with jugs of water. Ganapati Bappa Morya!! The lord will not let me down, he will listen to my prayers, he is my messiah, he is there for me, is the belief people hold closely to their heart. Bappa, has always blessed his devotees. He loves his devotees more than his Modak. Yes, my friends, Bappa (yes, he is lovingly called as Bappa in Maharashtra) is the saviour of millions of his bhakts, Exams, interviews, marriage, children, happiness, home, care, fame, money - place a ‘navas’ (wish) at the feet of the lord, he will not disappoint you. You may not be very lucky to have a complete glimpse of Bappa, as most them are whisked away in seconds, but the bhavna, the devotion, the determination, the love does not dither the bhakts who cannot afford thousands of rupees for special darshan. They do not mind the wink by chance glimpse of god. I love such people and I feel the lord is with them and not with those who use influence and money power to seek darshan. Bappa, Morya Re!! Morya Re! Charni Tevi Mee Mata!! (Bappa, I place my head at your feet).
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Recently the temple is fortified with tall walls on all the four sides for security reasons. The secret hawk report indicated a plot to blow up the temple. This has taken away most of the part of the road and pedestrians find it hard to walk as the strong thick walls have occupied the space leaving them to dodge the heavy moving traffic. People have taken objection of this action of the Trust asking them to tighten up the security instead of raising such huge walls creating hindrance to the public.
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Like most Indian Temples, beggars and leapers also surround Siddhi Vinayak. It is a very pathetic sight to watch them begging with kids, oldies crawling on their backs. Also it is disgusting to walk the way without footwear, you are sure to walk on the urine and muck created by the beggars. Well, this is the scene of most of the temples in Mumbai, with beggars all around. Siddhi Vinayak has strict police patrolling and one cannot go inside without being scanned thoroughly.
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You will also find numerous small stalls selling a small basket containing garland of hibiscus flowers, coconut, incense sticks, tulsi leaves and a small box of modak. You can either buy a small basket or buy them separately. These flower vendors also take care of your footwear if you buy their products. There is a separate corner for keeping your footwear in the outskirts of the temple too.
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Siddhi Vinayak has an annul turn over of crores of rupees which is used for the poor and needy. Siddhivinayak Diagnostic Centre is the proposed project to be located at Jakhadevi Hospital, Gokhale Road, Dadar, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and will be run exclusively by the Trust with state-of-the-art facilities keeping in view to avail numerous facilities free of cost to the devotees of Lord Ganesha!
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Idol of Lord Ganesha

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The idol of Shree Ganesha is made of single black stone with trunk on the right side, lotus on upper right hand and axe on the left; the lower right has got a rosary and left has got a big modak. The idol is 2.5 feet tall and 2 feet broad. Riddi and Siddhi are seated on either sides of Shree.
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The temple also houses idol of Shree Hanuman.
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The temple of today

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The renovation work of the 200-year-old temple was started in the year 1990 and got completed in 1993. The temple of today is a six floor structure with a central gold plated dome. The other small crowns and are made of a mixture of gold and panchadatu (five metals). The first floor is used for puja and darshan, the second floor for making prasad and has the administrative office. The third floor has the Committee Members Chamber and also the chamber of the key members of the Trust. It also has the computer room from where the data are processed. The fourth floor has got the temple library with 8000 books on religion, medicine, engineering etc and a reading hall and is open to the public free of cost. The fifth floor has got facilities to prepare maha prasads during special occasions. The summit of the temple has got 47 gold plated crowns. The crown was installed on 13^th June 1994. The belief of having a darshan of the central crown is like having darshan of the Lord goes very far here as builders have cashed on this and flats facing the central crown of the temple rake in more moolah! It is Mumbai my friends where the rich and the poor live besides each other.
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Technology:
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Tata Sky telecasts the activities of the temple through its “Active Darshan” segment. One can sit at home and have direct darshan of Bappa and enjoy his blessings. Thanks Tata Sky for this marvelous arrangement with the temple.
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How to reach Siddi Vinayak Temple

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City Location: Mumbai, Maharasthra, India
Location on Road: Corner of Kakasaheb Gadgil Marg and S K Bole Marg
Nearest Railway Station: Dadar (both central and western railway network halt at Dadar).
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Road Transport: BEST Buses ply frequently to Prabhadevi, you can take these buses from Dadar (West) near Plaza Cinema, but you may have to walk few steps to reach there. Cabbies also ferry you on Share-Basis and one-to-one basis too.
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Other Places of Interest: Dadar Shivaji Park, Worli Sea Face, Rabindranath Tagore Drama Theatre, Plaza Cinema Hall,
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Look in for the 2 Aarti’s popularly sung in Maharasthra in the next post!!

 

These Aarti’s are sung in Maharasthra, being born and brought up here I could not stop myself from bringing it to my viewers. Hope you enjoy reciting them

Aarti No.1

Sukhkarta Dukhharta Varta Vighnachi
Nurvi Purvi Prem Krupa Jayachi
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Sarvangi Sundar Uti Shendurachi
Kanthi Zalke Mal Mukta Phalachi
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||Jay Dev Jai Dev Jay Mangala Murti (2)
Darshanmatre Man kamana Purti
Jay Dev Jai Dev Jay Mangala Murti
Oh Shree Mangala Murti||
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Ratnakhachit Fara Tuj Gaurikumra
Chandanachi Uti Kumkumkeshara
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Hirejadit Mugut Shobhato Bara
Runzunati Nupure Charni Ghagaria
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||Jay Dev Jai Dev Jay Mangala Murti (2)
Darshanmatre Man kamana Purti
Jay Dev Jai Dev Jay Mangala Murti
Oh Shree Mangala Murti||
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Lambodar Pitambar Phadivar Bandhana
Saral Sond Vakratunda Trinayan
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Das Ramacha Vat Pahe Sadana
Sankti Pavave Nirvani Rakshave Survarvandana
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||Jay Dev Jai Dev Jay Mangala Murti
Darshanmatre Man kamana Purti

Jay Dev Jai Dev Jay Mangala Murti
Oh Shree Mangala Murti

Darshanmatre Man kamana Purti||



Aarti no. 2 is in the next post!

 

Aarti No. 2 and more pictures of Shree and Hanuman !!

Shendur Lal Chadhayo Achchha Gajmukhko
Dondil Lal Biraje Sut Gauriharko
Hath Liye Gudladdu Sai Survarko
Mahima Kahe Na Jay Lagat Hoo Padko

||Jai Jai Shri Ganaraj Vidhyasukhadata
Oh Swami Sukhadata
Dhanya Tumara Darshan Mera Man Ramata||

Ashto Siddhi Dasi Sankatko Bairi
Vignavinashan Mangala Murat Adhikari
Koti Surajprakash Aisi Chhabi Teri
Gandasthala Madmastak Jhoole Shashibahari


||Jai Jai Shri Ganaraj Vidhyasukhadata
Oh Swami Sukhadata
Dhanya Tumara Darshan Mera Man Ramata||
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Bhavbhagati Se Koi Sharanagat Ave
Santat Sampat Sabahi Bharpur Pave
Aise Tum Maharaj Moko Ati Bhave
Gosavinandan Nishidin Gun Gave,
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||Jai Jai Shri Ganaraj Vidhyasukhadata
Oh Swami Sukhadata
Dhanya Tumara Darshan Mera Man Ramata||

 

Thank you for stepping in Manjeeta.