पवित्र मंदिर दर्शन
TempleShree Mahalakshmi Temple
6:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Daily)
Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mahalakshmi, Mumbai – 400026
- Deities
- Mahakali · Mahalakshmi · Mahasaraswati
- Established
- c. 1785, after the Hornby Vellard
- Entry
- Free
The Story
About Shree Mahalakshmi Temple
Perched dramatically on a rocky promontory overlooking the Arabian Sea, Shree Mahalakshmi Temple is one of Mumbai's oldest and most beloved shrines. The temple houses three powerful goddesses — Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati — and is famous for its breathtaking sea views and the spectacular evening aarti.
History & Significance
In the 1770s and 80s the British tried to dam the breach between Mahalakshmi and Worli — the Hornby Vellard, the work that welded Mumbai's islands into one landmass — and the sea kept taking the wall back. The Gazetteer of Bombay City and Island, writing in 1909, records the legend that the goddess appeared to Ramji Shivji Prabhu, a Pathare Prabhu contractor, and promised the obstacles would end if he first raised her and her two sister goddesses from the water and gave them a shrine on land. He did. The Vellard held, and the government granted him the rocky point the temple still stands on. The Gazetteer itself calls this a legend, and it is — but Ramji Shivji was a real man with a documented role in the reclamation. (The builder often named online, Dhakji Dadaji, in fact built Dhakleshwar, a separate shrine in the same compound, whose spire was once visible twenty-five miles out at sea.) Inside, three goddesses sit together — Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati — and at Navratri the whole headland is lit for nine nights.
Highlights
- Three goddesses enshrined together: Mahakali, Mahalakshmi & Mahasaraswati
- A dramatic setting on a rocky point above the Arabian Sea
- A moving evening aarti amid bells, lamps and incense
- Deities decorated with gold ornaments, pearls and fine jewellery
- One of Mumbai's most beloved and cherished shrines
Through the Lens
A closer look at Shree Mahalakshmi Temple
Real, free-licensed photographs of Shree Mahalakshmi Temple — tap any image to view it full-screen.
Before You Go
Visitor tips
A few things worth knowing before you visit Shree Mahalakshmi Temple.
- The evening aarti is a deeply moving experience — arrive early for a good spot
- Weekends are very crowded; Tuesday and Friday mornings are relatively calm
- Combine with Haji Ali Dargah, a short drive away, for a morning across two faiths
- Free prasad is offered to all devotees
- Photography inside the inner shrine is not allowed
Plan Your Darshan
Aartis, trains & the right day
Aarti Schedule
| Morning aarti | ≈ 7:00 AM |
| Dhoop / evening aarti | 6:30 – 7:50 PM |
| Shej aarti (close) | ≈ 10:00 PM |
Commonly published schedule — timings shift on festival days; we confirm on the day of your tour.
Nearest Stations
| Mahalaxmi (Western Line) | ≈ 1 km |
| Mahalaxmi (Metro Line 3) | short ride / 15-min walk |
Crowd Calendar
Best time: Weekday mornings soon after the 6 AM opening
Busiest: Fridays (the goddess's day), Navratri (Sep–Oct) and Margashirsha Thursdays (Nov–Dec), when vrat crowds peak
Quick Answers
Frequently asked questions
What are Mahalaxmi temple timings in Mumbai?
About 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily. Morning aarti is around 7:00 AM and the evening dhoop aarti runs 6:30–7:50 PM — the most beautiful time to visit.
What is the nearest railway station to Mahalaxmi temple?
Mahalaxmi station on the Western Line, roughly 1 km away; Metro Line 3's Mahalaxmi station is also close. Taxis drop you on Bhulabhai Desai Road at the temple lane.
When is Mahalaxmi temple most crowded?
Fridays, the nine nights of Navratri, and Margashirsha Thursdays (November–December) when devotees observe the Mahalakshmi vrat — queues can stretch down the approach lane. Weekday mornings are calmest.
Why are there three goddesses and not just Mahalakshmi?
Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati are worshipped here as a triad. The framework comes from the Devi Mahatmya, where the one Goddess acts through three aspects — the force that destroys what must end, the power that sustains and provides, and the wisdom that orders and illuminates. Seeing all three enshrined side by side is the point of this temple, not an accident of how it was built.
Is this the same as the Mahalakshmi temple in Kolhapur?
No. Kolhapur's Mahalakshmi (Ambabai) temple is a far older and separate shrine in western Maharashtra, and is counted among the Shakti Peethas. Mumbai's Mahalakshmi is its own temple on the Breach Candy shoreline, connected to the Hornby Vellard reclamation. People often conflate the two when searching.
Who is Mahalakshmi — is she only a goddess of money?
That is the popular shorthand, and it undersells her. Lakshmi is the goddess of fortune, abundance and wellbeing in the broadest sense — prosperity of the household, of health, of fortune itself — and she emerges from the churning of the ocean in the Puranas as the consort of Vishnu. In the Devi Mahatmya tradition that this temple stands in, Mahalakshmi is not a wealth goddess at all but the supreme Devi. Most travel writing gets this wrong.
Does praying at Mahalakshmi make you wealthy?
That is what many devotees believe and hope, and the temple's association with traders and business families is real and old. We would not put it to you as a promise — it is a matter of faith, not a claim anyone can stand behind. What we can say is that the visit itself is worth making: the sea-facing setting, the three goddesses in their gold and pearls, and the evening aarti are the reasons to go.
Can non-Hindus enter Mahalakshmi temple?
Yes. There is no religious restriction on entry. Dress modestly, remove footwear before the shrine, and avoid photography in the inner sanctum.
Why is Haji Ali right next to it?
Because both were built on this stretch of reclaimed shoreline — the Mahalakshmi headland and, a few hundred metres across the bay, the Haji Ali Dargah on its causeway islet. Standing at one you can see the other. It makes for one of the most quietly striking mornings in Mumbai: a Hindu temple and a Muslim shrine sharing a bay, both approached on foot, both busiest at dusk.
What do people offer at Mahalakshmi?
Flowers — lotus especially — along with sweets, coconuts, bangles and saris for the goddesses. The lane leading up to the temple is lined with stalls selling exactly this, and a garland is the simplest thing to carry in. Prasad is offered to devotees.
Is there a paid or priority darshan at Mahalakshmi?
None that the temple publishes. Entry and darshan are free. Go early on a weekday morning if you want time and quiet at the shrine rather than a way to skip ahead of anyone.
Getting There
Find it on the map
Ready to visit Shree Mahalakshmi Temple?
Weave it into a private, chauffeur-driven Mumbai darshan — hotel pickup, an AC vehicle and door-to-door care from start to finish.