Mahalaxmi Temple Dahanu

Getting there

• By train

  Dahanu Road station is near Dahanu town. It lies on the Western line of the Mumbai suburban railway network.

• By road

  The temple is on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Dahanu taluka. Dahanu town is 110 km from Mumbai.

Why devotees come here

The Mahalaxmi Temple stands on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Dahanu taluka, Palghar district. It is dedicated to Mahalakshmi, who is regarded as the clan deity (kuladevi) of the Satav families of the Malhar Koli community. The Palghar district website names it as part of the district's spiritual heritage.

In local tradition, Mahalakshmi is a living, awakened deity who protects her devotees and the land around them. Among the Malhar Koli she is the clan deity of the Satavs, a clan associated with the mountains. Oral accounts say she first lived on a hill at Vivalvedhe called Mahalakshmi Gad, and came down to the foot of the hill so that a struggling devotee would not have to climb.

Some versions link her with the Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur. They say that after blessing the Karveer region she travelled north and chose Dahanu as one of her homes.

The Koli king Jayaba Mukne of Jawhar State built the temple in 1306, when Jawhar was established. The Koli rulers gave the care of the temple and its rituals to the Satav clan. During worship, the flag of the present Raja of the Mukne dynasty is offered to the temple, presented by the priest of Vaghadi village.

Festivals

• Begins on Hanuman JayantiAnnual fair

  A fifteen day fair that matters to the tribal and farming communities of Dahanu and the villages around.

• NavaratriNavaratri

  The temple is decorated, and devotees come from far away to pay their respects.

Tips for your visit

• At Navaratri devotees come from distant places and the temple is decorated, so expect a crowd.
• The annual fair runs for fifteen days from Hanuman Jayanti, so you have a longer window to visit than a single festival day.

Questions people ask