HYDERABAD: I go to Mumbai either on work or personal trips but a temple visit was never on my itinerary. But this time it was different: I had some leisure at my disposal, an enthusiastic driver who would help me in drawing my plans for the day and take me wherever I wanted with a smile. Thus materialised my visit to the famous and Mumbai’s favourite Shree Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi it is not only a popular place of worship but also a place of historical importance and archaeological significance.
It is Lord Ganesh’s address in Mumbai, which everyone refers to as simply Prabhadevi. The two centuries old temple attracts huge crowds every day and at times the Bollywood bigwigs can also be spotted who come to mostly to pray before the release of their movies. Many walk barefoot to honour the vows taken. Of course, the Ambanis are regular visitors to seek a continuous flow of Ganesha’s blessings. Internet is flooded with pictures of celebrities visiting the temple and it is believed that Siddhivinayak temple is the place where all prayers are answered. Bollywood’s favourite temple, celebrities like Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Sanjay Dutt are often spotted here. Chances are, during your visit, you may run into some starlet at least if not a superstar!
Driver Krishna dropped me at the entrance of the lane: the road leading to the temple was empty except for a few people walking. A pink bougainvillaea tree was in full bloom, spilling over the compound wall of a house: it was calm and quiet, most unlike the entrance to a busy temple. As I walked ahead, I found the steps leading to the temple. Once I climbed the steps I found the place buzzing with activity: rows of shops selling flowers, coconuts, modaks, pedas and other sweetmeats and the animated shopkeepers filled the lane. I picked up a pooja thhali and stood in the long, well - organised queue filled with disciplined crowds. Photography is strictly prohibited in the temple premises. I thought it is a smart decision. The absence of selfie clicking individuals certainly enhances the beauty of a place. And what a pleasant feature it is!! People waiting in the queue talking to each other, laugh and patiently wait for their turn, like in the old times.
Halfway through I came to know that there is a quick fix to the long wait: buying a VIP ticket, where you pay a mere hundred rupees for much faster entry. Promptly I went and joined the other queue to buy ticket and shorten the wait.
The temple was originally built by a childless woman named Deubai Patil in 1801. The original shrine was a modest brick structure of 3.6 sq metres housing the black stone idol of Lord Ganesh. It has been renovated with granite, marble, steel, chrome and glass and over a period of time the sanctum sanctorum was altered many times, giving way, finally, to the monolithic and magnificent structure that towers over Prabhadevi today. Considered one of the richest temples in Mumbai and also one of the richest in India it receives nearly 10.15 crore donations every year. The temple is so rich that the inner roof is plated with gold!
Admiring the disciplined crowds and their immense patience, I entered the inner sanctum. The deity’s idol is unique here: carved out of a single black stone, it has Ganesha’s trunk to the right instead of left. The priests were quite patient: they took the offerings and returned with blessings. The staff overseeing the whole procedure of darshan too was quite courteous. I spent a few peaceful seconds in front of Siddhi Vinayak idol- this temple visit was long overdue. The huge idols of silver mice in the temple were quite impressive. Ganesha’s trusted friend and carrier, the “mushika” is supposed to grant wishes that are whispered in its ears. Most devotees stop by the silver mouse to offer prasad and earnestly whisper prayers in its ear.
When I came out of the sanctum sanctorum I sat with others on the benches provided and looked around watching people. I could sense true devotion, sincerity and earnestness in most devotees. I could see the concentration and the absence of distraction. Could it be because they are temporarily placed in a different world? A world where no mobile phone exists- a dizzying world that puts us on a conveyor belt and spins our lives? Whatever could be the reason, it feels good to dump the cell phone for a while: a connection with God is worth a million disconnections from gadgets.
(The author is a documnetary filmmaker and travel writer. She blogs at vijayaprataptravelandbeyond.com)