Shri Sannyas Ashram Temple Sannyas Ashram Road, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai

The Sannyas Ashram in Vile Parle is a magnificent complex of various temples belonging to the Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions. Established during the final struggle for the nation’s independence, this ashram temple offers devotees the opportunity to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu in His incarnations of Shri Ram, Shri Krishna, and Narasimha, along with various other deities. A special feature of this ashram temple is the Purushottam Bhagwan Temple. The doors of this temple are opened for darshan only during the Adhik Maas, drawing massive crowds of devotees during this period.

The original seat of the Sannyas Ashram is located at Suratgiri Bangla in Haridwar. This ashram is associated with the Dashnami Sampradaya, which is a Shaiva sect. According to the Marathi Vishwakosh, this sect was promoted by the disciples and grand-disciples of Adi Shankaracharya (in the Guru-Shishya tradition, the disciple of a disciple is referred to as a ‘Prashishya’). Padmapada, Hastamalaka, Sureshwara, and Totaka were the four principal disciples of Shankaracharya. Shankaracharya established monasteries in all four directions of India and appointed one of these disciples to each. Among them, Padmapada had two disciples named Tirtha and Ashrama; Hastamalaka had two named Vana and Aranya; Sureshwara had three named Saraswati, Puri, and Bharati; and Totaka had three named Giri, Parvata, and Sagara. The sect that emerged from the names of these ten disciples came to be known as ‘Dashnami’. The names of the sadhus of this sect are suffixed with words like Puri, Bharati, Giri, etc.

Mahamandaleshwar Swami Maheshwaranand Giri established this branch of the Sannyas Ashram in Vile Parle on 20 January 1945. Maheshwaranand Giri was a scholar of Sanskrit and Vedanta. In 1938, he was appointed as the ninth Peethadhishwar of the Suratgiri Bangla seat. After establishing the Sannyas Ashram in Mumbai, the ashram gradually expanded over an area of about 5 acres. In the year 1952, he constructed a large complex of temples within the ashram. This includes Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev, Ekamreshwar Mahadev, Parvati Parmeshwar, Kailashpati Shiv, Dwadash Jyotirlinga, and Nataraja. Similarly, Vaishnava deities such as Lakshminarayan, Shrinathji (Shri Krishna), Ram Darbar, Radhakrishna, Virat Bhagwan, Purushottam Bhagwan, Balaji, Vitthal-Rukmini, and Narasimha Bhagwan have also been consecrated here. Along with this, deities like Ganpati, Siddhivinayak, Hanuman, Dattatreya, Saraswati, Amba Mata, Khodiyar Mata, Chamunda Mata, Gayatri Mata, Santoshi Mata, and Sheetala Mata have also been installed in this temple complex. Idols of the original Guru of the Dashnami Sampradaya, Adi Shankaracharya, as well as the founder of this Sannyas Ashram, Maheshwaranand Giriji Maharaj, are also enshrined here. Maheshwaranand Giri passed away on 1 May 1970. Thereafter, Mahamandaleshwar Brahmanand Giri was appointed as the tenth Peethadhishwar. During his tenure in the seventies and eighties, various religious, cultural, and educational activities were initiated in this temple complex. Currently, the eleventh Peethadhishwar, Vishweshwaranand Giri Maharaj, oversees the administration of this ashram.

The Sannyas Ashram is situated in a spacious area near the Vile Parle railway station. There is a large banyan tree in its courtyard. Directly in front stands the magnificent ‘Hargovinddas Vyakhyan Mandir’ building. The temple is designed with a spacious central assembly hall (Sabha Mandap) surrounded by various sanctums housing the idols of different deities on three sides. At the entrance of the assembly hall, there is a large idol of Nandi. In the sanctums here, one can see beautiful marble idols of Lakshminarayan, Shiv-Parvati, Shri Krishna, Shrinathji, Virat Bhagwan, and Amba Mata. There are dome-shaped spires over this assembly hall. Additionally, there are three tall spires over the main sanctums. Adjacent to this temple, in the pavilion on the right, there are small and large temples as well as niches for deities. Here, one can seek the blessings of deities such as Gayatri Devi, Nataraja, Ganesh, Narasimha, Matsya Bhagwan, Vitthal-Rukmini, Tirupati Balaji, Khodiyar Mata, and Santoshi Mata. Similarly, the temple of Purushottam Bhagwan is located in the front. Since this temple is kept open for darshan only during the Adhik Maas, a long queue of devotees forms here every day during this period. The twelve Jyotirlingas are also enshrined here in one place. Nearby, there is a separate temple for Ekamreshwar Mahadev, which houses a large Shiva Linga. A unique feature of this Sannyas Ashram is the large sculpture of Gangadhar Bhagwan, i.e., Lord Shiva, which is displayed in the open to the left of the Hargovinddas Vyakhyan Mandir.

Devotees can visit the Sannyas Ashram for darshan daily from 6 to 12 in the morning and from 3.30 to 9 in the evening. Various Hindu festivals and celebrations are observed here with great enthusiasm and in a religious atmosphere. There is a large influx of devotees, especially during Shravani Somvar, Khodiyar Utsav, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Navratri. The ashram also runs a Goshala and a Sanskrit school.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery