Shree Siddhivinayak Temple
History of 200-year-old Shree Siddhivinayak Temple.
One of the favorite and adored festivals celebrated by everyone, especially by children placing the idols and worshipping for 11 days. Yes, we are talking about the temple of God who is a sign of knowledge, Shree Siddhivinayak Temple.
This temple is dedicated to Lord Vinayaka. It is considered to be an iconic place of worship in Mumbai. The temple is about 200 years old, is one of the most magnificent temples in India, and is visited by celebrities, leaders, and all divine devotees. People here believe that Siddhivinayaka will fulfill the wishes of anyone who prays at this temple with a true heart and devotion.
Let us know about this 200-year-old shrine’s history.
Scripts say that the temple was built in the year 1801 by a man named Laxman Vithu. This shrine was funded by a rich, childless woman named Deubai Patil for construction with the belief that Lord Vinayaka will grant the wishes of other women who haven’t had a child yet.
It was originally a small brick structure that measured 3.6 meters * 3.6-meter square feet. A dome-shaped shikhara is made as to the structure and within it was housed a black stone idol of Lord Vinayaka. According to local people, Ramakrishna Jambhekar Maharaj, who was a Hindu saint buried two idols in front of the Siddhivinayaka idol as per the instructions of his teacher. As told by Swami Samarth, 21 years later, a Mandara tree grew at the spot where these two idols were buried. This grown tree had an image of Svayambhu Vinayaka on its branches.
An idol of Lord Hanuman was discovered during a road extension work in the year 1952, a small temple was dedicated to Him in the temple compound. The shrine underwent a massive renovation in the year 1990.
Moving onto its architecture. The current structure of Siddhivinayak Temple was designed by an architect named Sharad Athale keeping the idol intact, everything else about the temple was changed. This new structure of the temple is crowned with a gold-plated Kalasham placed above the central dome.
The idol at Siddhivinayak Temple is carved from a single piece of black stone. One of the unique features of the main idol at Siddhivinayaka Temple is Lord Ganesha’s trunk is tilted towards the right. Most of the Ganapati idols in the country have their trunks tilted towards the left.
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated at Siddhivinayak Temple in a magnificent way. And on normal days, we can see a number of visitors on Tuesdays dedicated to the Lord for worship.
This auspicious temple marks an important visit for tourists and devotees who come from all around the nation to get blessed. If you are willing to visit Mumbai do not forget to visit this temple along with other shrines in Mumbai.