Mumbai, the city of dreams, hosts people of all religions and cultures. Then how can a grand festival like Durga Puja not be celebrated here. Is Durga Puja celebrated in Mumbai? If that is your question then the answers would be yes, of course. Durga Puja is celebrated in Mumbai and with much grandeur. So if you are visiting Mumbai during Durga Puja this year you should not miss out on these best Durga Pujas in Mumbai.
The Durga Puja in Mumbai is equally grand like it is celebrated in Kolkata. The Bengali communities in Mumbai put in their heart and soul and sweat in making this event a grand one. So if you are a Bengali residing in Mumbai, you need not worry about the pandal hopping in Mumbai, because I will have you covered. In this article I have mentioned the most popular Mumbai Durga Pujas that you can visit this year. It would not even feel like you are not in Bengal.
14 Best Durga Puja in Mumbai 2024
Lokhandwala Durgotsav
Location of Lokhandwala Durgotsav: Lokhandwala Durga Puja Ground, Andheri West, Mumbai
This famous Durga Puja is led by famous Bollywood Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya. The puja was first started by local Bengali families in 1966. The main aim behind this Durga Puja was to keep the Bengali culture alive in Mumbai. After Abhijeet Bhattacharya became the president of the puja organization, this puja is popularly known as Abhijeet’s Durga Puja. One of the main attractions of this puja is the pandal designed by notable art director Bijon Das.
The organizing team is very efficient and hardworking. They serve tasty Bhog to all the devotees visiting the pandal that includes Khichuri, Beguni (Brinjal Fritters), Labda (Mixed Vegetable), Payesh( Kheer) and Churtney. On Dashami special Bhog of Pulao and Paneer is served. This is one of the most visited puja pandals in Mumbai. Make sure you include the Lokhandwala Durga Puja in your list of must visit Durga Pujas in Mumbai.
Bengal Club: Shivaji Park Durga Puja
Location of Shivaji Park Durga Puja: Shivaji Park, Veer Savarkar Marg, Dadar West, Mumbai
If you want to experience the traditional model of Durga Puja, then Shivaji Park Durga Puja is a must visit for you. This pandal is known for its pomp and grandeur. The association was founded in the year 1922 and is one of the oldest existing Durga Pujas in Mumbai. This is a high budgeted Durga puja in Mumbai. Almost around 200000 devotees visit this puja every year.
They also host a lot of cultural programmes and events during the puja days. The morning and evening Aartis are done following all the traditional rituals. One of the special attractions here is the Dhunuchi Naach competition and Conch blowing Competition that everyone enjoys. Folk dances are also arranged here during the evening. They worship an eco-friendly idol. Recently they also worshipped the 18 feet tall idol of Devi Durga and that was another major attraction. The entire area almost looks like a fairground where people come and enjoy their heart out. Traditional Bhog of Khichuri, Labda and Beguni is also served here.
North Bombay Sarbojonin Durgotsav
Location of North Bombay Sarbojonin Durgotsav: Uditi Tarang Housing Colony, Tulip Star Hotel, Juhu Tara, Mumbai
One of the grand Durga Pujas in Mumbai is the North Bombay Sarbojonin Durgotsav. This is also one of the famous star studded Durga Puja where you can see a lot of celebrities attending the Puja. The association was founded by Padmashri Sasadhar Mukherjee and Srimati Mukherjee and is one of the most visited and oldest Mumbai Durga Puja. Every year the whole Mukherjee family, namely Bollywood actresses Kajol and Tanisha, director Ayan Mukherjee, and veteran actress Tanuja visits this pandal with their families.
Every year around 8000 people receive the Bhog Prasad in the Puja ground. They serve the iconic Khichuri, labda and payesh to all the devotees visiting there. The Maha bhog is however cooked by a close knit group of women who had been doing this for the past 30-40 years. They are carrying forward the traditional recipes of their mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers. The Maha Bhog is later mixed with the Bhog and then served to everyone. You can see actress Kajol or Rani Mukherjee serving the Bhog there and it is their kind gesture that they wish to maintain as a part of their hospitality.
The Bhog keeps on changing on different days sometimes to pulao and aloo dam and everything is essentially vegetarian and specifically without onion and garlic as per Bengali traditions. However there are several stalls outside the pandal that serve the quintessential authentic Bengali food like Koraishutir Kochuri (peas kachori), Dum aloo, Mutton or Kathi Rolls. So if you want to enter the food paradise then do visit the mela ground to taste these delicacies as well.
Navi Mumbai Bengali Association
Location of Navi Mumbai Bengali Association: Navi Mumbai, Vashi, Sector 6, Maharashtra
One of the largest Bengali associations in Maharashtra is the Navi Mumbai Bengali Association. They are a registered association under the Bombay Public Trust Act of 1950. The Durga Puja here is one of the most visited in Mumbai. Almost 120000 devotees visit here every year. During the pandemic there was live streaming of all the rituals online on platforms like Youtube. They organize a Maha Bhog which has all the traditional Bengali food and distributes it to the devotees. The main attraction here is also the theme pandals that they make every year. Other than Durga Puja they also celebrate other festivals like Kali Puja, Saraswati Puja, Rabindra Jayanti, Poila Boishakh etc. Various dance and music competitions are also arranged by them.
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Durga Puja in Khar
Location of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Durga Puja in Khar: Ramakrishna Math Building, 12th Road, Santacruz West, near Ramakrishna Mission Hospital, Mumbai
The Durga Puja here started in the year 1932 and is one of the oldest Durga Puja in Mumbai. They follow all the age-old Bengali traditions in a proper way and a lot of devotees visit this puja every year. The main day of attraction is Ashtami when they organize the Kumari Puja. Also the Pushpanjali on Ashtami morning is another point of attraction for the devotees. The environment is very peaceful and traditional. So if you specially want to enjoy the puja rituals and the tradition and culture of Durga Puja then you must visit Ramakrishna Math during the Durga Puja days.
Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav
Location of Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav: Hiranandani Gardens, Powai
This association is known for their Theme pujas every year. The Puja is organized by the Powai Bengali Welfare Association (PBWA). Special attractions here include the Dhunuchi Dance competition and other singing and dancing events where many famous singers perform. The lighting set up, music and the culture would make you feel like you are in Kolkata. A lot of people compare this Puja with the Durga Puja back in Kolkata. A huge number of devotees attend Durga Puja here every year.
Juhu Sarbojanin Durga Puja in Mumbai
Location of Juhu Sarbojanin Durga Puja: JVPD, next to Indian Medical Association Auditorium, Juhu, Mumbai
This is one of the renowned Durga Puja in Mumbai that is widely visited by the devotees. The members of this association actively take part in the activities and organize everything really well. They even play Dhaks in the evenings of the puja days. Dhunuchi dance is another major attraction here along with other stage shows and events. On Ashtami they organize special programmes and on Dashami there are special dance performances as well.
Vashi Cultural Association Durga Puja
Location of Vashi Cultural Association Durga Puja: B-404 Raheja Residency, Sector 14, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
The Vashi Cultural Association Durga Puja (VCA) is popularly known as the Navi Mumbai Durga Puja. Their aim is to keep the tradition and culture of Bengal alive in Mumbai. The Puja started in 2005 and is continuing with its charm even today. Cultural functions are arranged on all days of the Puja where many famous artists perform. Another special attraction is the book fair organized by them. The specialty of their pandal is, it is built by artists especially from Bengal. The Durga idol here wears beautiful jewelries embellished with gold. Bhog is also organized for all the devotees on three days. Almost around 50000 visitors attend Puja here each year and around 11000 people enjoy the Bhog served.
Natun Pally Sarbojonin Durgotsav in Bandra
Location of Natun Pally Sarbojonin Durgotsav in Bandra: Bandra West, Mumbai
The Natun Pally Durgotsav was established in 1979 and celebrities like Basu Chatterjee, Shakti Samanta and Pramod Chakravorty were associated with this puja. The prime attraction of this Durga Puja is the big idol made by famous artisans from Vasai. The idol is made in the traditional way using hay and clay. This Puja has always been a choice for top celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Kishore Kumar, Rakhee, Hemanta Kumar, Asha Bhosle, RD Barman etc. The puja pandal and the ambience give Kolkata vibes which is very enjoyable for the visitors.
Chembur Durga Puja Association
Location of Chembur Durga Puja Association: 101, Sion-Trombay Road, Navratna Apartment, Chembur, Mumbai
The Chembur Durga Puja association started their puja in 1954 and is one of the oldest Durga Puja in Mumbai. Their theme pandals are one of the special attractions. Around 200000 devotees visit this Puja every year. A lot of cultural programmes are organized here during the puja days. They also serve traditional Bhog to the visitors.
Thakur Village Durga Puja in Kandivali
Location of Thakur Village Durga Puja in Kandivali: Thakur Complex, Kandivali East, A-22, Jinal Apartment, Mumbai
The Puja in Thakur Village is organized by Thakur Villages’s residents and cultural association. This association comprises housing colonies that reside in Thakur Village and all of them come together and celebrate Durga Puja. During the puja days this area turns into a mini version of Bengal. There are a lot of cultural programmes and functions organized by the community where many notable artists perform. They serve the tradition Khichri and Labda Bhog to everyone including non Bengalis. This Durga Puja is also attended by communities other than Bengali with a lot of excitement.
Bangiya Parishad Durga Puja Thane
This association was formed by a few Bengalis who formed the Bangiya Parishad with the aim to promote Bengali language and culture in 1963. They are involved in charity events like blood donation camps. They also organize annual picnics and exhibitions. Some other popular events celebrated by them are Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Birthday, Rabindranath Tagore’s Birthday and Bengali New Year. Kali Puja and Sawaswati Puja are also celebrated by them but the biggest festival is undoubtedly their Durga Puja celebration. This year they will be celebrating their 50th year of Puja.
Bombay Durga Bari Samiti, Gowalia Tank
Location of Bombay Durga Bari Samiti: Sheth Gokuldas Tejpal Auditorium, near August Kranti Maidan, Gowalia Tank, Mumbai
The Bombay Durga Bari Samiti Puja is also known as the Tejpal Auditorium Durgotsav. This is one of the oldest Durga Puja in Mumbai which has been running for almost 94+ years. This is also one of the most popular and most visited puja pandal in Mumbai. They are also a charitable organization and they are involved in charitable initiatives like giving scholarships to bright students and also donates clothes and food to the underprivileged. Other than Durga Puja this community also celebrates Kojagori Laxmi Puja, Kali Puja, Basanta Utsav, Poila Boishakh and Rabindra Jayanti.
Srijon Sammilani- Bengali Association of Palava
Location of Srijon Sammilani- Bengali Association of Palava: Casa Rio gate no 3
Srijon Sammilani is a NGO formed in 2017. Their main aim is to uplift the underprivileged. Even for Durga Puja their motive is to worship the “Dashbhuja” that is Goddess with 10 hands while uplifting the underprivileged girls in 10 different ways. They have been actively working on various welfare activities.
Mumbai does not leave you empty handed. People believe it has everything you are looking for. If you are looking for a slice of Bengal, the essence of Durga Puja, those 4 days of festivities, Mumbai would not disappoint you. Visit these popular Durga Pujas in Mumbai and enjoy the Puja days with a lot of enthusiasm. If you are unable to get a leave to come back to Kolkata during Puja this year, Mumbai Durga Pujas will be there for your rescue. And if you are not a Bengali then you should definitely visit these Durga Pujas once to understand the true essence of Bengali culture and religion. So start planning now as the festival is just a few months away.
