Babulnath Temple

Babulnath Temple Review

To get the flavor of a large, traditional Indian temple that's nevertheless jammed in the heart of a busy city, a visit to the Babulnath Temple is a must. Climbing the few hundred steps to reach the temple, perched on a hillside, will reward you with a panorama of south Mumbai. The first Babulnath Temple was apparently built by Raja Bhimdev in the 13th century and named after the babul trees that forested this area. The architecture of this imposing shrine, one of Mumbai's most important, is not remarkable, but it's interesting to watch the melée of worshippers coming, going, and milling about. Outside are rows of flower sellers hawking a temple-visitation kit—coconut plus flowers plus rock sugar—and a cluster of vendors concocting sweets in karhais (large woks) in the open air. Temple authorities are sometimes prickly about allowing foreigners into its innermost areas, but it's worth a try; more often than not they do not object. For Rs. 2 you can avoid the climb and take the elevator.