Mahalaxmi Temple
Located at the seashore on the northern side of Malabar
hills, Mahalakshmi temple is one of the most sacred temples
in Mumbai. The temple enshrines three dieties namely Lakshmi,
Kali and Saraswati. However, the principal diety is goddess
lakshmi and hence the name Mahalakshmi temple.
History
Built around 1785, the history of this temple is supposedly
connected with the building of the Hornby Vellard. It is said
that when Britishers failed in their repeated attempts to
connect Mahalakshmi area to Worli by building Breach Candy
on account of ferocious tides, they had almost surrendered.
The problem was fixed only by divine intervention when the
goddess Lakshmi appeared in the dream of chief engineer and
asked him to remove the three statues from the sea bed and
establish them in a proper shrine. A search operation was
launched to recover the statues and a temple was built. After
this, the work on the vellard could be completed without a
hitch. .
Inside
The Temple contains images of Goddess Mahalakshmi, Mahakali
and Mahasaraswathi. All three images are adorned with nose
rings, gold bangles and pearl necklaces. The image of Mahalakshmi
is shown riding a tiger and a demon (Mahishasur) in a tandem.
Beyond the ornate gate is the shrine wherein resides the buxom
goddess of Lucre -- Laxmi. The compound of this temple is
abuzz with stalls selling flower garlands and pious paraphernalia.
Navaratri Festival
During Navarathri celebrations, the temple gets special loolks.
Devotees from distant places throng to temple to pay their
obeisance. They have to stand for hours in long queues holding
coconuts, flowers and sweets which they offer to the goddess.
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Jain Temple
The jain temple on Ridge Road (B C Kher Marg) on Malabar Hill
is one of the most noteworthy of all jain temples in Mumbai.
The opulent architecture reflects heights of artistic expression
and large heartedness of enterprising Jain community who give
hefty donations for religious purposes.But equally lamentable
is the fact that the temple is poorly maintained.
The work on temple was completed in 1903 and it was thrown
open for the use of Swetamber Jains. Over years the temple
has gained much publicity and popularity and hence the temple
witnesses a constant flow of devotees moving in & out
throughout the year.
Inside
The temple is brightly decorated from inside and one can see
intricate carvings and frescoes on the walls. These frescoes
depict various events in the lives of the 24 Jain apostles
or Tirthankaras. As one climbs stairs, one finds that a black
marble shrine is beautifully decorated with celestial personifications
of the planets, painted onto the ceiling. Jain stockbrokers
walking barefoot to the temple every morning, and white-robed
monks usually add to the morning hubbub at the temple complex.
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ISKCON Temple
ISKCON, Mumbai is a part of the series of temples built across
the world to propagate the message of Bhagwat Gita nad raise
the consciousness about Lord Krishna. ISKCON temples are not
mere places of worship or places of aesthetic and architectural
beauty. These are symbol of intellectual development and mediums
of movement on higher plane-spiritual plane.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness(ISKCON)
was initially raised as a spiritual society in New York to
propagate the message of the Bhagwad Gita. It was founded
by Swami Prabhupada. In India there are about 40 ISKCON temples.
Contemplating the traditions of the ancient Vaishnava tradition,
its philosophy and practice, these spiritual temples have
left a mark on all mankind.
ISKCON temples are dedicated to Lord Krishna. Populary known
as Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple, ISKCON, Mumbai is situated
at Juhu. At a stone’s throw away distance from Prithvi
theatre, the temple is a connoisseurs delight. There are beautiful
paintings inside and outside is just spell-binding. The architectural
grandeur is just unmatched elsewhere. Jet-setting, orange-
robed sadhus inside the premise add to the visual richness.
One can drop in for lunch at the ISKCON restaurant to taste
the ancient curries and also take part in evening prayer and
recital of Bhajans( devotional songs).
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Mumbadevi Temple
Although the Mumbadevi Temple is not as striking as others
are in the city, its resident deity, Mumbadevi, is the city's
patron Goddess. The structure is about six centuries old,
believed to be the handiwork of Mumbaraka, a sadistic giant
who frequently plundered the city at the time. Terrorized
by these unwelcome visits, the locals pleaded with Lord Brahma,
Creator of all things to protect them. Brahma then "pulled
out of his own body", an eight armed goddess who vanquished
the brute. Predictably brought to his knees, Mumbaraka implored
Her Holiness to take his name and built a temple in her honour.
She still stands there, an orange faced goddess on an altar
strewn with marigolds: devotees believe that those who seek
her divine favour are never disappointed.
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Siddhivinayak Temple
In India, faith is known to move mountains. Rich and poor,
educated and unlettered, they Indians all converge at temples
and churches and mosques to offer their destinies to the Divine.
Nowhere is this more evident than at Siddhi Vinayak, a temple
devoted to Ganesh, the elephant-headed God of Good Fortune.
On auspicious Tuesdays, the serpentine queue of worshippers
is over 2kms long. People stand for several hours with offerings
of flowers and coconut, waiting patiently for a two minute
"Darshan" or meeting with the Lord. The path to
the divine is never easy, but it is said that those who tread
it with true devotion will always have their wishes fulfilled.
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