Temple of Babulnath

It is built on a hillock near the Malabar Hills area and has an interesting story as well as an extensive history behind its construction. The temple was built less than 200 years ago, but has origins in the 12th century.

The legend of Babulnath temple was popular about 300 years ago. Back then, the area used to be a pastoral land owned by a rich man named Pandurang. And there was a boy named Babul who took care of his cows. One evening, a cow didn't give milk so Babul started keeping an eye on that cow in the field. He found that it put all the milk somewhere in the evening. After monitoring it for a few days, Babul reported this strange behavior to Pandurang, who also followed the bull and then ordered the place to be dug up. The result was the discovery of a large Shivalinga and this place is the present-day Babulnath Shivalinga temple. Along with it, statues of god Ganesha, god Hanuman and goddess Parvati were also found during the excavation.

However, that is the legend and the history of Babulnath temple dates back to around the 12th century a Hindu king named Bhimdev built a Shiva temple at that time. The Muslim invaders destroyed it afterwards, and the idols were buried in the ground. Pandurang and Babul found idols during their excavations, and a temple was built in the 1780s. Members of the Parsi community were against its construction because the site was close to one of the temples. their dakhma (aka the tower of silence). The matter went to court and in the 1800s a ruling was passed in favor of the Hindus. A Gujarati merchant built the present temple in 1890. At that time, the Babulnath temple tower (gopuram) was the tallest structure in Mumbai. However, lightning damaged it afterwards.

The architecture of Babulnath temple, with its intricately carved pillars, resembles the architectural style of Hindu temples. The walls of the temple are exquisitely carved from limestone, their design delights many visitors. The pillars and ceilings are decorated with stories and figurines from Hindu mythology. In addition, the marble floor has been brought down from Rajasthan, which enhances the aesthetics of this temple.

Devotees from different parts of the world come to Babulnath temple in Mumbai to offer flowers and milk to Lord Shiva and hope their prayers will be answered. There are 110 steps to reach the main temple, where Shivalinga is located. You can also take the elevator instead. When you are up there, you will find yourself in a peaceful space. The Temple of Babulnath also houses other shrines, to house the deities found during excavations.

So buy a gift basket from one of the shops outside the temple and ask for blessings from the idols available at Babulnath temple. Also, don't miss attending special prayers conducted by the temple priests three times a day. In February on the occasion of Mahashivaratri, devotees go in groups to celebrate and expect to receive the blessings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Business hours:

05:00 – 22:30 (Tuesday – Sunday)

04:30 – 23:30 (Monday)

Admission: free