Babulnath is an ancient Shiva temple in Mumbai, India. Shiva in the form of the Lord of the Babul tree is the main deity in this temple. The faithful climb up to the temple and obtain Darshan of the shivling and obtain blessings of the Lord. It is also possible to take an elevator up to the temple. The Bombay International School lies opposite the temple.
Babulnath Temple Shiva Linga and Idols were originally consecrated in the 12th century by the then Hindu king Raja Bhimdev of the region. Over a period of time the temple was buried and lost over a period of time. The idols were re discovered (unearthed) in 1700 to 1780 time frame. The first temple was built in the 1780 year.
When rediscovered, 5 original idols were dug out. That of the main Shiva Linga, Ganesh, Hanuman, Parvati and one more. Out of this the first four are in the temple. The fifth one was immersed in the sea because it was broken when it was dug out in 18th century. Hindus do not worship idols which are broken and it is a common practice to immerse them in rivers, ponds or sea.
When the first temple was built the land belonged to the Parsi community. There were 5 Dakhma's (Parsi final resting place) existing in the vicinity. There was a lot of resistance for the Parsi community at that time for building of the temple. This resistance continued till the late 1800 when the issue was settled by the courts in favour of the temple.
The Babulnath Temple was patronised when built for the first time by Hindu merchant of that time and mainly the Gujarati community. A bigger temple was built in 1890 by contributions from the Gujrati merchants and the likes of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad of Baroda state. The current temple structure can be dated back to 1890. The temple height was considerable when built in 1890 but a lightning strike in the 1960s and damage to the spire lowered the height of the present temple considerably. Till the 1980s Babulnath Temple was one of the Tallest structure & location in the city of Mumbai.
There is limited reference to Babulnath Temple in the historical texts, because in the initial days the temple was frequented by yogis who use to stay for there for Bhang and Ganja. However the temple famed in the 20th century. Currently the temple is throgded by people on Mondays and during Mahashivratri & Shravan months.
The Great men associated with the Temple include Baba Sundarnathji, a great yogi who stayed at the temple in the beginning of the 20th century. The late Shri Kanniyalal Maneklal Munshi was a trustee in the Temple for many years and did meritorious service to the temple. The temple was also frequented by celebrities, some of them on a consistent basis. Notable amongst them were Raj Kapoor, & Aruna Irani. A number of Bollywood movies were sots at the temple.
Amongst all the temples in the city of Mumbai, Babulnath is one of the most beautiful temple structures. Perhaps it has not got its due. Because the temple is not associated with uncanny stories of wish fulfillment and the likes. It is pure devotion.