Mumbai’s iconic Siddhivinayak Temple, located in the heart of the city at Prabhadevi, has announced a temporary closure for public darshan for five days, from December 10 to 15. The temple, renowned for its spiritual significance and attracting lakhs of devotees annually, will remain closed for regular worship during this period due to an essential annual ritual.
The closure is to facilitate the traditional vermilion (sindoor) coating of the idol of Lord Ganesha, a key practice conducted by the temple trust before Magh Shri Ganesh Jayanti. As part of this procedure, the idol will be temporarily covered, and devotees will not be able to offer prayers directly to the Ganesh idol. Instead, the temple has made arrangements for devotees to view an image of Lord Ganesha placed outside the temple premises. The temple trust has clarified that all other regular religious programmes, including the Maha Aarti, will continue as scheduled throughout the closure. However, the iconic ‘darshan’ of the actual idol will be unavailable until Sunday, December 16, when the annual rituals are completed. On this day, the temple will conduct a special religious ceremony, which will include the Udakshant and Prokshan Vidhi for the purification of the temple, followed by Maha Puja, Naivedya, and Aarti rituals.
Additionally, the idol of Shri Maruti within the temple complex will also undergo its annual vermilion coating during this period, leading to the temporary suspension of Maruti’s darshan as well. The temple trust issued a request for devotees to cooperate with the closure and plan their visits accordingly. Devotees seeking blessings will be able to resume darshan from 1 pm on December 16, once the rituals are completed and the idol is unveiled. This yearly tradition is a vital part of the temple’s preparation for Magh Shri Ganesh Jayanti, ensuring that the idols are ready for the important festivities.
