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Pilgrimage Destinations in Mumbai

When it comes to pilgrimage destinations in Mumbai or Bombay, the first place that comes to mind is the Siddhi Vinayak Temple at Prabhadevi. Usually in most religious depictions, the elephant headed God Ganesha also known as Ganpati in Maharashtra has his trunk curled to his left. But in this temple, he is depicted with his trunk pointing to the right. He stands strong with four arms, one bearing a lotus, the other an axe, the third a modak, a traditional Indian sweet which Ganpati is said to have a weakness for and in the fourth a garland of beads. He is flanked on either side by his two wives Riddhi and Siddhi. The temple is the most crowded during Angaraki and Sankashti Chaturthi days, which are considered holy days according to the Hindu calendar.

Haji Ali - An integral part of the multicultural and multi ethnic diversity of Mumbai, Haji Ali Mosque is one of the major pilgrimage spots in Mumbai. Not surprisingly there are as many Hindus as there are Muslims that visit the mosque for wish fulfillment. The mosque is built in the middle of the sea with a narrow strip of land leading to it. Set about 500 yards into the sea, it can be reached only at low tide. According to folklore, Haji Ali was a wealthy businessman who died on a pilgrimage to Mecca. It is said that the casket carrying his body floated all the way back to the site where the mosque now stands. Built in the 19th century the mosque gives the impression that it is floating on the sea, especially during high tide. As per Islamic laws there are separate prayer rooms for men and women. Throngs of people come to bow their heads on the red and green brocade sheet covering the tomb and pray for the realization of their dreams.

Shirdi - Located about 296 kms from Mumbai, Shirdi is a popular pilgrimage destination for the followers of Shirdi Sai Baba. The headquarters of the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan are located here. The Sansthan does a lot of welfare work including having built a Sai Baba Bhakti Niwas to accommodate about 3500 devotees, a Shri Sainath Hospital which is well equipped with the latest equipment and provides free treatment and a Prasadalaya which provides hygienic prasada to 1000 devotees at a time.
The nearest railway station which connects Shirdi is Korpargaon, 15 kms on the Manmad-Daund section of the Central Railways.