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The Shree Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai is one of the many temples in India held in extremely high regard. The temple is dedicated to Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha s said to be the God who clears all obstacles. Thousands of people visit this temple in Mumbai to seek blessings of the deity and asking him for help. It is also known that the temple is over 200 years, built in 1801.
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Though the temple back then wasn’t as big, it housed a small idol of Ganesha made of black stone. One of the features of the idol in this temple is that it’s trunk faces to the right side almost all other Ganesha idols are made with the trunks facing the left. The idol has four hands, each holding a lotus, prayer beads, small axe and bowl full of modaks. His consorts, Riddhi and Siddhi are placed one either sides of the deity. Over the years, the temple complex has gained popularity. One of the reasons for this temple in the Prabhadevi neighborhood finding such popularity, is because in 1983, when Bollywood actor, Amitabh Bachchan met with an accident while filming for his movie, Coolie. Since his condition was extremely critical, it is believed that Jaya Bachchan, his wife, prayed for his well-being. Once the Shehenshah of Bollywood recovered, a lot of people started believed in the power of Ganesha.
There is a wall built around the temple complex in order to avoid people waiting in a queue coming in way of the traffic. During important festivals, the temple is extremely crowded and there can be possibilities where you’d have to stand in queue for as long as two to three hours. There are several kiosks around the temple from where you can purchase garlands, sweets, coconuts, incense sticks and flowers (the hibiscus is considered to be Ganesha’s favorite flower). Do keep in mind, any type of footwear is prohibited inside the temple. There are various stands where you can keep your shoes till you finish you visit.
Photograph courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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