Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai: Timings, Aarti, History, Dress Code & How to Reach

Shree Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi is Mumbai’s best-known Ganesha temple. Consecrated in 1801 and rebuilt as a six-storey stone temple in the early 1990s, it draws thousands of devotees every day and lakhs on Tuesdays and Angarki Chaturthi. This guide covers the temple’s history and architecture, the idol, darshan and aarti timings, pooja booking, the dress code, how to reach by metro, train and road, and tips for a smooth visit.

• About
• Location
• History
• Architecture
• Idol & darshan
• Timings & aarti
• Pooja booking
• How to reach
• Photos
• Nearby
• Tips
• FAQs

About Siddhivinayak Temple

Lord Ganesha is worshipped first before any new beginning, as Vighnaharta, the remover of obstacles. “Siddhivinayak” means the Ganesha who grants siddhi, or success, and many Mumbaikars visit before an exam, a new job, a wedding or the launch of a business. Film stars, sportspeople and political leaders are regular visitors, especially before a big release or an important event.

The temple is run by the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust, a public trust set up under a special state law of 1980. It is one of the richest temple trusts in Mumbai, and much of the money it receives goes into public work: a dialysis centre, financial help for patients, support to government and municipal hospitals, health and blood donation camps, a book bank for students and a free library and study hall inside the temple.

Where is Siddhivinayak Temple?

Siddhivinayak Temple is in Prabhadevi, next to Dadar in central Mumbai. It stands at the corner of S.K. Bole Road and Kakasaheb Gadgil Marg, a short walk from Siddhivinayak station on Mumbai Metro Line 3 and about 2 km from Dadar railway station.

Siddhivinayak Temple history

The first Siddhivinayak temple was consecrated on Thursday, 19 November 1801, a date recorded in government records. It was a small square shrine with a dome, built by Laxman Vithu Patil and Deubai Patil. Popular accounts say Deubai, who had no children, wanted Ganesha to bless other women who longed for a child. In front of the old shrine was a water tank, and the temple office stood to its right.

1. 1801
   Temple consecrated

   The small domed shrine with the black stone idol is consecrated on 19 November 1801.

2. 1980
   Temple trust

   A state law sets up the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust to manage the temple and its funds.

3. 1990
   Rebuilding begins

   Work starts on a new six-storey temple around the old sanctum, without moving the idol.

4. 1994
   Kumbhabhishek

   On 13 June 1994 the Shankaracharya of Sringeri performs the consecration of the new temple’s crown.

5. 2025
   Metro at the door

   Siddhivinayak station opens on Mumbai Metro Line 3, a few minutes’ walk from the temple.

Siddhivinayak Temple architecture

The present temple was designed by architect Sharad Athale of S.K. Athale & Associates. After studying temples across India, the architects chose the stone Shiva temple at Ambernath as their model, because its solid stone walls had stood up well to the humid coastal weather and heavy monsoon of the Konkan.

The rebuilding began in 1990 and took about three years, at a cost of around ₹3 crore. Marble and pink granite were used, and the idol was not touched during the work. The result is a multi-angled, six-storey temple topped by 47 gold-plated crowns, with the main crown about 12 feet tall. The old crown was brought down with full rituals and is kept on display inside the temple.

What is on each floor

• Ground floor – the gabhara (sanctum) with three main doors, each about 13 feet tall, so over 300 people can see the idol at once from the hall.
• Mezzanine – a viewing gallery used for poojas and darshan, with a clear view of the idol.
• Second floor – the kitchen where Ganesha’s Maha Naivedya (food offering) is cooked; it goes down to the sanctum by lift.
• Third floor – the trust’s main offices.
• Fourth floor – a library of about 8,000 books on religion, literature, medicine, engineering and more, with a study hall open free to the public.
• Fifth floor – a kitchen for festival offerings and havans.

The space above the sanctum is left open up to the main dome, so nobody walks above the idol. Inside, the wooden doors of the sanctum are carved with the eight Ashtavinayak forms of Ganesha, and the inner roof of the sanctum is gold-plated. Devotees who cannot get close on busy days often bow to the gold dome from the road, believing it brings the same blessing.

The idol and darshan

The idol of Shree Siddhivinayak is carved from a single black stone, about 2.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Its trunk turns to the right, which is rare; most Ganesha idols have the trunk curving to the left. The idol has four hands: a lotus in the upper right, a small axe in the upper left, a rosary in the lower right and a bowl of modaks in the lower left. A snake is worn as the sacred thread, and an eye on the forehead recalls the third eye of Lord Shiva. On either side are Riddhi and Siddhi, the goddesses of prosperity and success.

Types of darshan

• Gabhara darshan – the main queue takes you past the sanctum for a close view of the idol. On a quiet weekday it usually takes under an hour; on a Tuesday it can take several hours.
• Mukh darshan – a faster darshan from the hall and stage in front of the sanctum, for those who cannot wait in the long queue. You see the idol clearly, but from a distance.
• Live darshan – the trust streams the sanctum online on its website.
• App booking – the trust’s Siddhivinayak app (Android and iOS) offers darshan appointments, video-call poojas and donations. The trust says the app is being updated, so check the website before relying on it.

Statues of Ganesha’s mouse (mushak) stand near the sanctum, and many devotees whisper their wishes into the mouse’s ear. There is also a small Hanuman shrine within the temple complex.

Siddhivinayak Temple timings and aarti

The temple opens at 5:30 AM with the Kakad Aarti and closes after the Shej Aarti at 9:50 PM on most days. On Tuesdays, the busiest day, darshan starts at 3:15 AM and goes on till about 11:30 PM. Entry and darshan are free.

Wednesday to Monday

Tuesday

Chaturthi days

• Sankashti Chaturthi – darshan runs from early morning; the doors close for pooja and abhishek about 90 minutes before moonrise, and the aarti is held after moonrise.
• Angarki Chaturthi (a Sankashti that falls on a Tuesday) – the busiest day of all; darshan begins around 2 AM and continues till about 1 AM the next morning.
• Vinayaki Chaturthi – the main temple is closed to devotees from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM for the Maha Abhishek; darshan continues as usual after that.
• Maghi Ganesh Jayanti and Ganesh Chaturthi – special schedules with very large crowds.

Timings are from the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust’s official schedule, checked in November 2026. Festival timings change each year, so check the official schedule before you go.

Best time to visit

For the shortest queue, go on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday between about 1 PM and 4 PM. Early mornings are calm too, and the 7:30 PM evening aarti is worth seeing if you can bear a crowd. Avoid Tuesdays, Sankashti and Angarki Chaturthi and the Ganeshotsav festival days unless you want to be part of the celebration and are ready for a long wait.

Pooja booking and charges

Poojas are booked at the Pooja Booking Counter outside the Siddhi Gate, open daily from 7 AM to 7 PM (phone 022 6249 1107). The Ashirvachan pooja can also be booked online through the temple website. Some of the regular poojas:

Charges are from the trust’s official pooja list, checked in November 2026, and include prasad. Rates can change, so confirm at the counter. Laddu prasad is also sold at the temple’s prasad counter.

How to reach Siddhivinayak Temple

Since Metro Line 3 opened, the easiest way to reach the temple is the metro, as Siddhivinayak station is only a few steps away. Local trains to Dadar or Prabhadevi, BEST buses and taxis are also good options.

By air

From Mumbai airport, take Metro Line 3 from the CSMIA T1 or CSMIA T2 station straight to Siddhivinayak without changing trains. By cab, the temple is about 14 km from the airport and takes 40 minutes to an hour depending on traffic.

Nearest metro station to Siddhivinayak Temple

Nearest railway station to Siddhivinayak Temple

Siddhivinayak Temple photos

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Places to visit near Siddhivinayak Temple

• Shree Prabhadevi Temple – the old temple of goddess Prabhavati, after whom the Prabhadevi area is named, a short ride away.
• Shivaji Park – Mumbai’s famous open ground in Dadar, where many of India’s cricketers learnt the game, about 1.5 km north.
• Chaityabhoomi and Dadar Chowpatty – the memorial of Dr B.R. Ambedkar on the sea front, next to Dadar beach.
• Worli Sea Face – a long sea-facing promenade for an evening walk, with views of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
• Dadar flower market – a busy early-morning wholesale market for flowers and garlands near Dadar station.
• Ravindra Natya Mandir – a well-known theatre in Prabhadevi for Marathi plays, concerts and cultural shows.

Tips for visiting Siddhivinayak Temple

• Dress modestly. Since January 2025 the trust does not allow short or revealing clothes; wear clothes that cover the body, and Indian clothes are preferred.
• Switch off your phone before you enter, as the trust requests.
• Leave your footwear at the stands outside the entrance.
• Carry less. Bags go through a security check at the gate; a small bag makes entry quicker.
• Buy offerings in the lane outside, where stalls sell flowers, garlands, durva grass, coconuts and modaks. Prices vary, so ask first.
• Keep moving in the queue. Temple staff keep the line moving past the sanctum, especially on Tuesdays.
• Check festival timings on the official website before visiting on a Chaturthi or during Ganeshotsav.

Whether you come for blessings before a new start or simply to see one of Mumbai’s landmarks, plan for a weekday visit by metro and you will find Siddhivinayak far calmer than its Tuesday crowds suggest.

Siddhivinayak Temple FAQs

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