The minute you step into Babulnath Mandir, you are bound to forget everything around you. It is peaceful, serene and will invoke a sense of calm that stays with you, even after you step out. That's the beauty of paying a visit to this ancient temple which is located just a stone's throw away from Girgaum Chowpatty.
Babulnath Mandir is situated nearly 1,000 ft above sea level, to the South of Malabar Hill, and has been a sacred spot among worshippers of Lord Shiva.
On a daily basis, the temple welcomes 5,000 to 10,000 devotees. The crowd increases over the weekend, but it is during the festive season that the temple sees a huge surge of people. During Shivratri 2025, around 6 lakh devotees visited the temple.
The story about how the temple got its name 'Babulnath' dates back to centuries. Sharing details about it, temple trustee Chaitanya Mehta says, "There was a shepherd who used to graze cows in the area. One cow would never give milk, but would go and discharge the milk at a particular spot. On further investigation, when that spot was dung up, a shivling was discovered there."
The name of the shepherd was Babul, and the temple has been built on the same spot where the shivling was found.
The interiors of Babulnath Temple |
The interiors of the prayer room of Babulnath Mandir glisten in gold, while the stone linga offers spiritual solace to those seeking Mahadeva.
Watch the video below to get a glimpse of the beautiful temple, discover interesting details about its history and beginnings, along with exclusive visuals of the ghee puja and annakut offerings that happen during Shravan.
It is at Babulnath Temple that along with Lord Shiva's linga, you'll also find idols of Lord Ganesh and Hanuman. Limestone and marble adorn the ceilings and walls of the temple which is a spiritual spot for Lord Shiva devotees.
To reach the top, one needs to climb over a 100 steps. Explaining why there are 110 steps in the temple, Mehta says, "Everyone wants to achieve moksh. The first step is my step, the remaining 108 steps are towards God, and the last step is also mine."
The ghee puja displayed at the temple during Shravan |
The period of Covid was used to beautify the temple and the focus was not just on the convenience of the devotees. A compost plant has been set up in the temple premise itself, where the billi patra and flowers offered by the devotees gets converted into fertilizer and is distributed to them for a reasonable rate.
While people prefer taking the steps, a golf cart and two lifts are now available for senior citizens, infants, pregnant ladies and physically challenged people. But the beautification work doesn't stop here. "One day, Babulnath Temple will become the Golden Temple of Mumbai," says Mehta.
On the final day of Shravan, 108 types of food items were placed as offerings at the temple |
"Babulnath Temple is very famous in Mumbai, particularly South Mumbai as people come here to achieve a sense of peace," he explains.
For ghee puja (in the month of Shravan), the temple had special artisans from Rajasthan to work on frozen ghee. The ghee puja reflected a fresh story of Lord Shiva daily. On the last day of Shravan, Amavasya, the temple organised an annakut of 108 food items cooked by the temple priest. In the evening, the entire food was distributed, free of cost, to the devotees.
