Prabhavati Devi Mandir

Location: In prabhavati area, Mumbai.

Kṣhetra Purāṇam: The murti or vigraha of the main deity, Prabhāvatī Devī, belongs to the 12th century. At that time, the Goddess was known as Śākambarī Devi and was the kuldevta of the Yādava king Bimba rāja of Gujarat. Unfortunately, due to the attacks of the Mughals, the Goddess was shifted to Karnataka. Later on, it was shifted to Mahim creek and subsequently, put in a well that used to exist opposite the present temple. Perhaps the people of Mumbai were fortunate, the following miracle happened in the 18th century. Goddess Śākambarī Devi appeared as Prabhāvatī Devī in the dream of Shyam Nayak, a rich Pathare Prabhu. He then retrieved the murti or vigraha from the well and constructed the temple in 1715. It is this ancient murti or vigraha one can have darśan of in this temple.

About the Temple: The garbhālayam has murti or vigrahas of three Goddesses Prabhāvatī Devī, Chanḍikā Devi (right) and Kālikā Devi (left). To the right of Chanḍikā Devi, there is an ancient Śiva lingam. The Goddess has four arms with Padmam, Japamālā, varada, abhaya hastams. There are other small temples of: Lakṣhmī Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, Hanumān, Śītalā Devi and Khokalā Devi. Every year in the Puṣhya month, a ten day Jātra is held, beginning on the full moon day (Śākambarī Pourṇima). The locality is now known by the Goddesses name as Prabhadevi.