The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has constructed a footpath six metres wide and approximately 300 metres long from an existing public parking lot at Bhulabhai Desai Marg to Mahalaxmi Temple on the reclaimed area under the coastal road.
To facilitate the crowd, especially during Navratri, Mumbai City Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar and Suburban Guardian Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha last week inaugurated the walkway as a part of ‘holistic pilgrim facility’.
It is pertinent to note that the temple attracts around 70,000 visitors a day on average and runs into five lakhs during the festive season of Navratri.
The walkway will ease access for devotees to reach the temple who otherwise have to suffer due to heavy traffic on this road. It also envisages multiple entry and exit points for better crowd management and an integration with the coastal road garden behind the temple.
Currently, the entrance point to the Mahalaxmi temple is from behind the Tryambakeshwar temple but has now been rerouted.
Since the temple lacks proper access for vehicles, the BMC is also working on integrating it with the coastal road garden to accommodate a crowd of visitors, where the queueing can happen right now, the queue stretches all the way to Haji Ali. There will also be screening facilities and washroom facilities for pilgrims.
Besides, a battery-powered car has been provided to the visiting senior citizens and other needy persons to reach the temple.
The iconic structure of Mahalaxmi temple is nearly 200 years old popularly known as Cadbury junction.
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