Siddhivinayak Temple to acquire residential building next to it for ₹100-crore expansion

The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir Trust is also in talks with the Siddhivinayak Cooperative Housing Society (CHS) to acquire it.

Mumbai: The trust managing the two-century-old Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi is all set to acquire Ram Mansion, a three-storey residential building located on a 708 square-metre private plot next to the temple, as part of its planned ₹100-crore expansion.

A view of the Ram Mansion Building near siddhivinyak Temple, dadar in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, September 04, 2025.(Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times)

The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir Trust is also in talks with the Siddhivinayak Cooperative Housing Society (CHS), located on the trust’s land next to the temple, to acquire it. Together, the two plots measure around 1,800 sqm, according to Sada Sarvankar, the former Shiv Sena MLA from Mahim who heads the temple’s trust.

Once both plots are acquired, the trust plans to construct a darshan queue complex similar to one at the Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi, a prasadalaya, toilets, and a changing room for devotees.

“At present, the temple does not have enough space for queues, and we feel bad that devotees stand on the road to take darshan. Besides, we don’t have toilets, and devotees often use the toilet at the petrol pump opposite the temple. We don’t have changing rooms for people who come for poojas. We also want to set up a prasadalaya for devotees,” said Sarvankar, adding that there also isn’t enough space to house all of the temple’s 225 staff members.

The public notice about the acquisition of Ram Mansion says that the housing society’s managing committee has assured the trust that the plot will be free from all encumbrances. Sarvankar claimed that the ₹100 crore the trust is paying to the residents of Ram Mansion for the plot is 1.5x-2x the market rate. The state law and the judiciary department, which controls the trust, have cleared the proposal to acquire Ram Mansion, officials said. The three-storey building has 20 flats, most of which measure 565 sqft.

A former chairperson of the trust, who requested anonymity, said that acquiring the Siddhivinayak CHS would have been easier, as it was located on the trust’s land. However, Sharayu Thakur, a former chairperson, had extended the lease of the building in 2001.

Sarvankar also said that an underground parking lot for 450 cars will soon come up under the maidan adjoining the temple. “The tender is being issued in the next two to three days, and this will take care of the parking needs of people. It is being built by the civic body.”

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had in July announced a three-phase upgradation and beautification plan for the area surrounding the Siddhivinayak Temple. The project is jointly being overseen by the BMC’s G North and G South wards—covering Dadar, Mahim, Dharavi, Worli, and parts of Lower Parel.

The project is aimed at improving the movement, safety, and overall experience for devotees without altering the sanctum or internal areas of the temple, according to the BMC.

Built in 1801, the Siddhivinayak Temple is one of Mumbai’s most prominent temples. It is known for its unique Ganpati idol with a right-sided trunk.