A
long flight of steps on the rim of the Arabian Sea takes one to the
revered shrine of Mahalakshmi. Sited on the northern side of Malabar
hills, at B. Desai Road in Breach Candy, Mahalaxmi is one of the
most-visited shrines in Bombay. The temple is dedicated to Goddess
Lakshmi, the divine consort of Lord Vishnu and the Goddess of Wealth
according to the Hindu Mythology. 'Navaratri' is the special festival,
when people from far-off places come to observe the gala time at the
temple. Distinguished for its probing history and piousness, Mahalakshmi Temple boasts of a richly ornamented main gateway. In its complex, you can see numerous stalls selling flower garlands and paraphernalia that make an offering to the Goddess. Inside the sanctum sanctorum, the presiding images are of Goddess Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati. However, Goddess Lakshmi is the principal deity, from whom the temple imbibed its name.
The bejeweled images of the Goddesses augment the spiritual aura of the temple. It is believed that the Goddess grants boons and fulfills all the wishes of her ardent devotees. With firm belief, people come to this holy shrine to get blessings from the Goddess. The historical evidences reveal that the temple was constructed as per the instructions of Goddess Lakshmi. Its origin is connected with the creation of Hornby Vellard.
As a result of violent tides, the engineers were not able to join the Mahalaxmi area with Worli by constructing Breach Candy. The plan was difficult and eventually, engineers dropped the plan. On one fortunate day, Mahalakshmi appeared in the dream of the Chief Engineer of the project and asked him to make her shrine at the current place. Consequently the temple was built somewhere around 1785. After it, the Breach Candy was successfully built.