Shri Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai

Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mahalaxmi, South Mumbai · Goddess Mahalakshmi, with Mahakali and Mahasaraswati (the Tridevi)

The sea-side Tridevi temple of South Mumbai, where a vellard legend meets a city's Navaratri crowds.

The Mahalakshmi Temple stands on Bhulabhai Desai Road near the Arabian Sea, close to Haji Ali and the Mahalaxmi racecourse. It holds three goddess images, Mahalakshmi (central), Mahakali and Mahasaraswati. The Mumbai City Collectorate's tourism page says it was built in 1831 and tells a legend that the images were found in the sea while the Hornby Vellard sea wall was being built. It is a busy city temple, packed at weekends, at Diwali and especially in Sharad Navaratri.

Timings

Darshan: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily (temple trust website)
Darshan paused for aarti: Morning aarti 6:45 – 7:30 AM; naivedya 11:45 AM – 12:20 PM; evening dhoop aarti 6:15 – 6:40 PM; evening aarti 7:20 – 7:45 PM (temple trust website)
Navaratri: The temple stays open for longer hours. Check the day's timings.

Daily rituals

6:00 AM – Temple opens: Darshan begins.
6:45 – 7:30 AM – Morning aarti: Darshan is paused.
11:45 AM – 12:20 PM – Naivedya (food offering): The midday food offering to the goddess. Darshan is paused.
6:15 – 6:40 PM – Evening dhoop aarti: Incense aarti. Darshan is paused.
7:20 – 7:45 PM – Evening aarti: The main evening aarti. Darshan is paused.
10:00 PM – Temple closes: The temple closes for the night.

Darshan types and costs

General darshan – Free. Weekday waits are said to be about 15–45 minutes and 2–3 hours on weekends and festivals (temple trust website).
Priority darshan for senior citizens and differently-abled visitors – Free. The trust's website says visitors aged 65 and above and differently-abled visitors have a separate queue. Volunteers at the entrance direct you.

Sevas and costs at Shri Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai

Abhishek, archana and special havan – Check at the temple office; the trust's website does not list prices on its public pages

When: As scheduled by the temple

The trust's website says poojas such as abhishek, archana and special havan can be booked. Details and prices are given on booking.

How to book: Through the Book Puja link on the temple trust website, or at the temple office (phone 022-2351 4732). Confirm the phone number and web address with the temple before paying.

Persons allowed: As per the booking

Check the exact seva list on the booking page.

How to book darshan

Darshan is free and walk-in. The temple trust's website says some poojas and donations can be booked online, and that you can also ask at the temple office. We could not independently confirm the site's address as official, so confirm with the office before paying.

Walk in for darshan at any time from 6 AM to 10 PM, outside the aarti breaks.
For a pooja or seva, call the temple office (022-2351 4732 on the trust's website) or ask at the office on arrival.
Before paying online, confirm with the temple office that the web address and payment details are the trust's own.
Keep your receipt.

Booking safely

A different 'Shri Mahalakshmi Mandir Trust' in Malad (East) also asks for donations online. Do not send money to bank details meant for the Bhulabhai Desai Road temple without confirming with the temple office.
Do not pay agents for VIP entry. Priority darshan is only for seniors and differently-abled visitors.

Darshan is walk-in and free. For poojas or donations, phone the temple office (022-2351 4732, as shown on the trust's website) and confirm payment details before paying.

Prasadam and offerings

Flowers and coconut – Vendor prices. Sold at stalls outside, and at an official counter inside, according to the trust's website.

Lotus flowers, garlands and coconut: The usual offerings. Buy from the stalls outside and keep small change.
Donation: The trust's website says donations can be made online and at counters, and may qualify for a tax receipt under Section 80G with a PAN. Confirm details with the office.

Dress code

Modest clothing. The trust's website says men should avoid shorts and sleeveless tops, and women should cover shoulders and knees. Footwear is removed outside, and there is a free shoe counter.

Temple etiquette

Photography is not allowed in the sanctum (trust's website); the outer courtyard is allowed.
Put your phone on silent. Do not use flash.
Bags: only small bags are allowed. A cloakroom is available. Security checks are done at the entrance.
No food from outside, tobacco or alcohol inside. Water bottles are allowed.
Leather items such as belts and wallets are not allowed inside, according to the trust's website.

Why it matters

Mahalakshmi is worshipped as the goddess of wealth and well-being. The Mumbai City Collectorate's page describes her as the central deity of the Devi Mahatmyam, shown holding lotus flowers, with Mahakali and Mahasaraswati beside her. Together the three are called the Tridevi.

Mumbai residents visit before starting a business, on festival days, and in Navaratri and Diwali. The trust-run website lists Sharad Navaratri, Diwali Lakshmi Pujan and Akshaya Tritiya as the main festivals.

The temple is a living city temple. Many visitors combine it with Haji Ali Dargah or the Mumba Devi temple.

Legends

The goddess in the sea and the Hornby Vellard

The Mumbai City Collectorate's page tells it this way. The British governor planned a sea wall (the Hornby Vellard, or Worli Bund) to close 'The Great Breach' between Mumbai and Worli, but the sea kept breaking it. The engineer Ramji Shivaji Prabhu dreamt that the goddess said she was lying at the bottom of the sea with her sisters. Fishermen then pulled three images from the sea with their nets, they were installed at the present site, and the bund was completed. A different version of the story says a local priest had the dream. This is a local tradition. The dates and the people named vary between sources.

History

Late 1700s (disputed): Origin of the shrine

Sources differ. The Collectorate's page links the first shrine to the building of the Hornby Vellard. The website of the temple trust (see below) gives dates in the 1760s and 1780s. Treat these dates as tradition, not as settled history.

1831: Temple built or rebuilt by Dhakji Dadaji

The Collectorate's page and Wikipedia give 1831 as the year of the temple, built by the merchant Dhakji Dadaji (1760–1846). The trust's website describes 1831 as a rebuilding and expansion of an older shrine.

Today: A busy trust-run city temple

The temple is run by the Shri Mahalaxmi Temple Trust. During Navaratri the Mumbai police deploy extra force and the temple has CCTV cameras, a metal detector and a bag scanner (news, September 2025).

Architecture

The temple stands near the sea at Mahalaxmi. The temple faces the Arabian Sea (Wikipedia has a photo of it taken from the sea). It is a compact urban temple with a main sanctum, an entrance area and an outer courtyard, as described on the trust's website.

The three goddess images sit together. Mahalakshmi is in the centre. The trust-run website says she holds a lotus and a golden pot, Mahakali a sword and trident, and Mahasaraswati a veena.

What to see

The Tridevi sanctum: Three goddess images side by side: Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati.
Sea-side setting: The temple is close to the Arabian Sea, near Haji Ali and the Mahalaxmi racecourse.
Evening aarti: The evening aarti is the best time to feel the temple at its busiest and most devotional, but darshan is paused during aarti.
Flower stalls: Garlands and lotus flowers are sold on the lane outside, as is usual at a Mumbai Mahalakshmi temple.

How to cover the temple

The usual route: arrive by train or taxi, leave footwear at the free counter, pass security, queue, have darshan of Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati, and offer flowers. Expect darshan to pause during the four aarti and offering breaks.

Mahalaxmi station or taxi: Mahalaxmi station is about 1 km away. BEST buses and taxis stop near the temple.
Shoe counter: The trust's website says there is a free shoe counter outside the main entrance. Keep the token.
Stalls outside: Buy lotus flowers, garlands and coconut at the stalls outside, or at the official counter inside.
Check at entrance: Pass the metal detector and bag scanner. Carry only a small bag.
The Tridevi: Darshan of Mahalakshmi in the centre, with Mahakali and Mahasaraswati beside her.
Outer courtyard: Photos are allowed only in the outer courtyard, not the sanctum.

Customs and traditions

Lotus and flower offering

Devotees bring lotus flowers and garlands to the goddess.

Lotus is linked with Lakshmi, who is shown with lotus flowers.

Buy from stalls outside; offerings are placed as the priests direct.

Visiting before starting new work

Many Mumbai families visit before a business or a new year of accounts.

Mahalakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Come on a quiet day, and on Diwali Lakshmi Pujan, expect huge crowds.

Navaratri darshan

Tens of thousands visit each day in Sharad Navaratri, and the temple stays open late.

Navaratri is the nine nights of the Goddess.

Plan for long queues. Police, volunteers and medical staff are deployed, as reported in September 2025.

For elders and differently-abled visitors

Access: Easy. The temple is in the city with a station about 1 km away, ramps at the entrance and a separate queue for visitors aged 65 and above. Avoid Navaratri and weekends for elders.

The trust's website says visitors aged 65 and above and differently-abled devotees get priority darshan through a separate queue. Volunteers at the entrance guide you. This site is not independently confirmed as the trust's own, so ask at the gate.
Priority darshan through the same separate queue (trust's website).
The trust's website says there is a wheelchair entrance, ramps at the main entrance and key points, and free wheelchairs on request at the information counter.
Volunteers help elderly visitors and people with disabilities during darshan hours, according to the trust's website.

Waiting time

Weekdays: about 15–45 minutes (trust's website).

Weekends, festivals and auspicious days: about 2–3 hours (trust's website). Navaratri and Diwali are busiest.

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings (6–6:45 AM, or after 7:30 AM) are least crowded. Weekends are busy; Navaratri (September–October) and Diwali bring lakhs of visitors.

Festivals

Sharad Navaratri (September–October)

The biggest festival. The trust's website says the temple stays open until about midnight. In 2025 the police, volunteers, doctors and an ambulance were deployed (Free Press Journal, September 2025). A queue pavilion runs along Bhulabhai Desai Road.

Diwali Lakshmi Pujan (October–November)

Big crowds come for Lakshmi Pujan.

Akshaya Tritiya (April–May)

An auspicious day for new beginnings; busy.

How to reach Shri Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai

By air: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is about 20 km away (Mumbai City Collectorate).
By rail: Mahalaxmi station on the Western Line is about 1 km (Collectorate); Mumbai Central is close by.
By road: BEST buses, taxis and app cabs stop near the temple. The Collectorate's page lists BEST and Mumbai Darshan buses. Parking is very limited; use a taxi.

Road safety

This is a city-centre temple, so the risk is traffic and crowds, not terrain. Go by local train, bus or taxi, because parking is very limited and Navaratri brings heavy congestion and police checks.

The temple is on Bhulabhai Desai Road. In Navaratri a queue pavilion runs along the road and police regulate traffic (Free Press Journal, September 2025).

Full road-safety guide

Where to stay

Mumbai has hotels at every price. The temple has no pilgrim rooms listed on its public pages, and the trust's site does not publish a room-booking system.

Hotels near Mumbai Central, Lower Parel and Tardeo – approx. ₹2,500 – ₹8,000/night. Book through known travel sites or the hotel directly.

Suggested plan

Half a day

Reach by 6:00 AM or after 7:30 AM on a weekday.
Buy lotus flowers outside and join the queue.
After darshan, see Haji Ali Dargah and the sea front.

Tips

Avoid the aarti breaks if you want quick darshan.
Take a taxi or local train; parking is difficult.
Carry only a small bag; heavy bags slow the security queue.
Do not pay anyone for a 'VIP' entry. Priority darshan is only for senior citizens and differently-abled visitors, according to the trust's website.

Frequently asked questions

What are the timings?

6 AM to 10 PM daily, with darshan paused during the four aarti or offering breaks (trust's website).

Is photography allowed?

Not inside the sanctum. The outer courtyard is allowed (trust's website).

Who built the temple?

Sources say Dhakji Dadaji built it in 1831. Older tradition links the first shrine to the Hornby Vellard project and Ramji Shivji Prabhu, but the dates differ.

Is there a senior-citizen queue?

Yes, for visitors aged 65 and above and differently-abled visitors, as per the trust's website.

Temples nearby

Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir, Prabhadevi – S.K. Bole Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai (about 6 km by road)
Shri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Temple – Trimbak, Nashik district, at the foot of Brahmagiri hill (source of the Godavari) (about 181 km by road)
Shri Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple – Bhimashankar, Khed taluka, Pune district (Sahyadri ranges, inside Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary) (about 202 km by road)
Shri Saibaba Samadhi Mandir, Shirdi – Shirdi, Rahata taluka, Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) district (about 258 km by road)

More Lakshmi temples

Shree Karveer Niwasini Ambabai (Mahalaxmi) Temple, Kolhapur – Mahadwar Road, Kolhapur city
Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple – Tiruchanur (Tiruchanoor), about 5 km from Tirupati, Tirupati district

All Lakshmi temples

No official website: A site, mahalakshmi-temple.com, says it belongs to the temple trust and Wikipedia lists it, but we could not find a government or news source that confirms it, so it is not marked official here. Ask the temple office (022-2351 4732) before paying anyone online.

Sources

Last checked: 2026-10. Timings and fees change – confirm with the temple before you travel.