History, Importance, Timings, Festivals, Architecture, Social & Religious Activities, Interesting Facts and Travel Guide of Mumba Devi Temple, Mumbai, India

Mumba Devi Temple is one of the antiquated temples in Maharashtra. It is located in Zaveri Bazar, Mumbai. The temple is devoted to the deity Mumba, the manifestation of the Mother goddess. The mother goddess is an idol and represents an epitomized fertility, formation, and demolition. Mumbai, the name is obtained from Mumba Devi. Mumba Devi is believed as the deity – Kuldevi of Mumbai. The idol is worshipped as a black stone carve in the temple. The temple was originally built in the 16th century.

The deity Mumba was a protector of the Agris (A Hindu Caste of Mumbai) and the Kolis communities (an Indian class from Gujarat and Rajasthan), the original residents of the Seven Islands of Mumbai. The Mumba Devi temple is almost six centuries old. The temple was dedicated to Devi Amba. People built the first temple in Bori Bunder. Some people demolished it between 1739 to 1770. After that incident, people formed a new place of worship at the exact location at Bhuleswar. The goddess symbolizes Mother Nature. The Hindu people of the northern Indo-Gangetic plains and parts of southern India worship Mumbadevi. The older temple building was in the position of the Victoria Terminus station. People constructed the new one at Phansi Talao. The modern temple consists of a portrait of the idol Mumba Devi, dressed in a costume with a silver crown, a golden neckpiece, and a nose stud. To her left, is a stone figure of Annapurna placed on a peacock. In front of the temple is a tiger, the carrier of Devi Durga.

The myth behind the temple describes some interesting facts related to the formation of the temple. Legends state that Mumbarka built the temple. He was a cruel evil who lived in this region and often injured people and damaged their residents. To get rid of this unbearable pain, the residents decided to pray to Bramha, the creator of the world. Bramha appeared to them and listened to their problem. He then created a potent female structure with eight arms from his figure. The goddess fought with the evil and overpowered it. She then released the people from their torture. The evil was surprised to see the supreme power of the deity and fell to her feet. He requested the deity to procure his name and created the shrine with that name. After that, the deity was named Mumba Devi.

The architecture of the Mumba Devi temple is a visual treat for the devotees. The black stoned avatar ornamented with a silver crown, a golden neckpiece, and a nose stud is simply mesmerizing.

The priest places the idol on a simhasan, decorated with marigold flowers. The deity has no mouth, to symbolize Mother Earth. The temple complex also has shrines of Lord Ganesha, Mahadev, Jagannath, Murlidhar, Balaji, and Narsoba. Flowers and other Puja items are available just outside the temple. The temple architecture resembles buildings of ancient times, mainly the medieval period in India.

Here’s a list of festivals celebrated in the Mumba Devi temple.

Magh Navratri – Gupt Navratri (from Magh Pratipada to Magh Navmi), Mumbadevi Patotsav on Magh Ekadashi, Chaitra Navratri, Ashvin Navratri, Janmashtami, Annakut Mahotsav, Hanuman Jayanti

There are different types of special rituals arranged for the devotees. Shree Mataji Abhishek, Laghu Rudra Abhishek, Shree Kapoor Aarti, Shree Kumkum Archan, Shree Mataji Rajbhog, etc. The pujas have a different amount of fees. One can book a puja from the temple authority.

Mumba Devi Temple Darshan timings

The Mumbadevi temple visiting hour starts from 6 am to 9 pm every day. The morning aarti starts at 7 am and the evening aarti at 7 pm. The temple is closed on Mondays.

As Mumbai is very hot in summer, the best time to visit the temple is in the winter.

Located in the middle of the city, one can reach the temple from anywhere. You can hire a taxi or a bus to make it there. The nearest rail station is Charni Road, where you can take a train.

To know more about the rituals and timings, you can contact the temple authority on this number - 022 2242 4974.

People who plan to visit Mumbai should visit the place. The ancient architecture, the beauty of the temple, and the history behind it will surely hypnotize you.

How to Reach Mumba Devi Temple, Mumbai, The capital of Maharashtra, India

Mumba Devi Mandir is located in center of Mumbai thus you can easily reach here from any corner of city via public or private vehicle. As Mumbai is capital of Maharashtra and financial center of India, it is very well connected with all major cities of India and also all the major cities of world. You can easily get flights to reach Mumbai from any corner of world. Mumbai has major railway junctions from where you can get train to reach almost all major cities of India. Every year millions of tourist and visitors across the world reaches here at Mumbai for different purpose. So public transport is also very much develop to facilitate them. Mumbai is located at just 150 km from Pune, 166 km from Nashik, 84 km from Matheran, 82 km from Lonavala, 245 km from Shirdi, 197 km from Bhimashankar, 177 km from Trambak etc.