The lanes outside Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi are rarely quiet. On festival days, devotees overflow onto the streets, waiting hours under the sun or rain for a few seconds of darshan. That scene may soon change, as the temple trust has approved a ₹100-crore redevelopment plan to ease crowding and improve facilities.
A ₹100-Crore Makeover In The Works At Siddhivinayak Temple
According to Hindustan Times, the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust has cleared a nearly ₹100-crore redevelopment plan that aims to give Mumbai’s most visited shrine facilities on par with Shirdi’s Sai Baba Temple. At the heart of this expansion is a new darshan queue complex, designed to streamline the crush of devotees and end the long, winding lines that block surrounding streets.
To make space, the trust has struck a deal to buy Ram Mansion, a modest three-storey residential block next door. According to trust chairperson and former Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar, residents are being compensated generously, 1.5 to 2 times the market rate.
MLA Sada Sarvankar iterated that they feel bad that devotees have to queue up on the road or use the petrol pump’s toilet. There are currently no changing rooms or adequate facilities, making the planned expansion as much about restoring dignity as it is about ensuring convenience.
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What The New Facilities Will Include At Siddhivinayak Temple
But the plan doesn’t stop there. Talks are also in progress to acquire the Siddhivinayak Cooperative Housing Society (CHS) next door, which already stands on trust land. If both deals go through, the trust will control about 1,800 sq m, a rare, valuable stretch of real estate in the heart of the city.
The proposed facilities:
- A queue complex on the model of Shirdi, where devotees move indoors in an orderly flow.
- A prasadalaya to serve food.
- Dedicated toilets and changing rooms.
- Expanded quarters and offices for the Siddhivinayak temple’s 225-strong staff.
A public notice has already assured that Ram Mansion’s title is clean, and the State Law and Judiciary Department has signed off on the deal. For the temple trust, that clears one of the biggest hurdles in redeveloping the precinct.
BMC’s Parallel Beautification Drive
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is also moving in parallel. In July, it announced a three-phase beautification plan for the wider Siddhivinayak temple area, stretching across Dadar, Mahim, Dharavi, Worli, and parts of Lower Parel. Among the civic upgrades is a long-awaited underground parking lot for 450 cars under the adjoining maidan. Tenders for the project are expected this week, as stated by Hindustan Times.
Built in 1801, the Siddhivinayak Temple has grown from a small local shrine into Mumbai’s most recognisable place of worship. Its Ganpati idol, with the distinctive right-sided trunk, draws everyone from politicians to film stars and during Ganesh Chaturthi, footfalls cross into lakhs.
For now, the Siddhivinayak temple continues to operate as it always has, with serpentine queues on the street. But if the expansion unfolds as planned, the experience of darshan here may soon be smoother and more dignified.
Cover Image Courtesy: darwinian/Wikipedia