Mumbai मुंबई

Mumbai grew from a cluster of fishing islands whose first goddess was Mumba Devi, the deity the city's name is traditionally traced to. Though it is better known as a commercial capital, its devotional life is strong and unusually plural, with Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Marwari and South Indian communities each keeping their own temples. Walkeshwar and the Banganga tank near it are linked in local tradition with Rama's journey toward Lanka, and the tank remains a quiet corner amid the towers.

Siddhivinayak in Prabhadevi is the Ganesha temple most Mumbaikars mention first, and Tuesday crowds there are well known. Mahalaxmi stands near the sea and honours the goddess of wealth, while Babulnath is a hillside Shiva temple. ISKCON Juhu is a major Krishna centre, and the Swaminarayan temple in Bhuleshwar serves a large devotional community. The city's defining festival is Ganesh Chaturthi, when neighbourhood pandals and the immersion processions to the sea take over the streets in late summer. Navratri garba nights are also widely celebrated. Temples here are busy, so expect long lines on festival days and on weekdays linked to the presiding deity. Footwear is usually left outside, flowers and coconuts are often sold at the gate, and photography inside sanctums is commonly restricted.