Shivratri at Babulnath Mandir!

Mahashivratri ! One of the most auspicious occasions celebrated all over India. You will notice mob of devotees flock Shiva temples in Mumbai and other parts of India to take part in celebrations. Babulnath is one of the ancient Shiva temples in the city. It is one of the most iconic locations of Mumbai, India. It is situated on a small hill top near Girgaum Chowpatty. The nearest station is supposedly Charni road. You can hop onto a taxi or a local bus to get to your destination.

I heard from my husband and others that every year there's a large number in attendance on Mahashivratri and was advised to reschedule the trip for another day. Being a huge Shiva follower myself, I have been wishing to visit Babulnath temple since many years but each year I would be working around this time. Since I recently quit my job, I was fortunate to have this time to myself and was keen on making a trip on this very day. The temple opens at 5am until 10pm,Tuesday through Sunday and 4:30am until 11pm on Mondays. The website states the timings could vary on the day of Shivratri.

I had absolutely no clue about the timings, best mode of transport one can take, or how much time it would take to reach! the nearest station? With little help from google and few reviews, I chalked out a plan for our visit. We woke up at 4:00am to set out at 5:00am. We took a fast train from Borivali to Charni road. As soon as we exited, we set sight on the local bus right outside the station. Before we knew it we were on the alternate mode of transport. We reached at about 6:30am

At the temple we noticed two separate lines, one for men and the other for women. One would need to climb about 50 stairs before reaching the temple. You also have an option to either climb up the stairs or take the lift upstairs if you have difficulty walking, tagging along with an infant, or a child. It can be overwhelming at first to see such a huge crowd but trust me its not that bad as its appears. Since you are constantly on a move you don't even realize the distance.

This one is mesmerizing, divine and beautiful with lovely views around. The path in itself is an adventure. You can hear and see everyone dancing and grooving to the most common chant 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Bum Bum Bole', you get to see some lovely architecture which appears on the outside of the temple. The entire ceiling and pillars of the Babulnath Temple are adorned with beautiful images from Hindu mythology. It is systematic with decent number of volunteers to guide you through, dry and clean with no pushing and jostling.

Shiva in the form of the Lord of the Babul tree is the main deity in this temple.

The temple is well maintained and is definitely worth visiting.

Overall, the visit to the temple was a very peaceful and memorable experience for me! I hope you find this blog useful. For further information do drop me a message or email me.