Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple Plans Major Expansion with 100 Crore Property Purchase

Mumbai: The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust in Prabhadevi is making significant moves to expand its operations by acquiring the neighboring three-storey building named Ram Mansion. The trust is also in talks with the adjacent Siddhivinayak Cooperative Housing Society for a similar acquisition. Acharya Pawan Kumar Tripathi, treasurer of Siddhivinayak Temple, stated, 'The deal with Ram Mansion is nearly finalized. Talks are underway with the Siddhivinayak society. This additional space will help us enhance our infrastructure and welfare activities.'

A real estate broker operating in Prabhadevi explained that Ram Mansion was built after an old chawl was demolished many years ago. 'The houses are small 1 BHK apartments mostly rented out to tenants. The owner lives on the top floor,' he added. There are 20 flats in this building.

Ram Mansion is reportedly located on a private plot that measures 708 sq m, while the Siddhivinayak society, whose gate is right beside the temple, is built on trust land. Temple authorities have said that the wider space measuring 1,800 sq m, derived from acquiring both these societies, will facilitate a darshan queue complex much like the one in the Shirdi Sai Baba temple.

The future plan includes a prasad room, toilets, and changing rooms for worshipers. At present, queues spill out into the main road behind the barricades, and people have no access to lavatories. Reports indicate that the public notice about the acquisition of Ram Mansion states that its managing committee has assured the trust that the plot will be free of encumbrance.

Trust chairman Sada Sarvankar told mediapersons that the Rs 100 crore the trust is paying to the residents of Ram Mansion for the plot is nearly twice the market rate. The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust is controlled by the state law and judiciary department, which has cleared this proposal. The temple offers medical facilities, educational assistance, and runs a library as part of its charitable and social activities.