The Astika Samaj Kochu Guruvayoor and Shree Ram Mandir

Location: The temple is located on Bhandarkar Road in the locality of Matunga (East) in Mumbai.

Historical Timeline: The Asthika Samaj was set up as a place of public worship in Matunga in the year 1923. A portrait of Lord Shree Ramachandra was put in the hall of the temple. In 1953, after receiving the blessings of His Holiness Jagadguru Shree Shankaracharya Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, stone idols of the deities were installed. These were those of Lord Shree Ramachandra, Sitadevi, Lakshmanan and Hanuman which were kept in a specially created sanctum-sanctorum or the Garbhagriha of the temple. The temple grew in stature over the years and coupled with the generous support of the devotees, idols of other deities were installed here. These were of Lord Karthikeyan (1965), the Navagraha Idols (1967), Lord Kochu Guruvayurappan (1974) and Swamy Ayyappan (1978). Today, the Asthika Samaj has attained the status of an established centre of religious and cultural activities and continues to get the ... More

 The Astika Samaj Kochu Guruvayoor and Shree Ram Mandir

Location: The temple is located on Bhandarkar Road in the locality of Matunga (East) in Mumbai.

Historical Timeline: The Asthika Samaj was set up as a place of public worship in Matunga in the year 1923. A portrait of Lord Shree Ramachandra was put in the hall of the temple. In 1953, after receiving the blessings of His Holiness Jagadguru Shree Shankaracharya Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, stone idols of the deities were installed. These were those of Lord Shree Ramachandra, Sitadevi, Lakshmanan and Hanuman which were kept in a specially created sanctum-sanctorum or the Garbhagriha of the temple. The temple grew in stature over the years and coupled with the generous support of the devotees, idols of other deities were installed here. These were of Lord Karthikeyan (1965), the Navagraha Idols (1967), Lord Kochu Guruvayurappan (1974) and Swamy Ayyappan (1978). Today, the Asthika Samaj has attained the status of an established centre of religious and cultural activities and continues to get the active support of devotees and the public at large.

Visit Timings: The temple remains open from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then from 4.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. On weekends it remains open till 12 noon in the morning, with the other timings being the same.

Deity: The main deity is Lord Rama. The other deities worshipped here are Sitadevi, Lakshmana, Hanuman, Lord Karthikeyan, Lord Kochu Guruvayurappan, Swamy Ayyappan and the Navagraha Idols.

Accessibility route: The temple is easily accessible by road or by the Mumbai suburban train network. From the airport or from any of the train stations a taxi or a bus can be taken to King’s Circle or Maheshwari Udyan. From there one needs to take a turn towards Bhandarkar Road which goes towards the Matunga Central Railway Station. After walking a few yards on this road one reaches the temple.

Nearby Places (Landmarks):  The temple is located in the midst of a busy shopping area. The area of Matunga is dominated by the South Indian community and a walk through its lanes gives one a feeling of being transported to mini Madras (Chennai). It was also known as the Mylapore of Mumbai. One cannot miss the sights and smells of South India here, such as the aroma of freshly ground coffee or the famous eateries offering authentic South Indian fare. Restaurants such as Hotel Ram Ashray, Anand Bhavan, Sharada Bhavan and Café Madras are famous for their Udipi food items. The market has multiple shops and hawkers selling vegetables, clothes, jewellery and groceries. Shops such as Giri Stores and Madras Concerns are known for South Indian grocery and other items.  The temple is very close to the famous Matunga flower market, which is worth a visit.

Matunga has numerous other temples which can also be visited. These are the Bhajan Samaj, Sri Sankara Matham, Sri Kanyaka Parmeshwari Temple, The Church of Mary, Help of Christians (also known as the Don Bosco Church), the Jain temples in the King’s Circle and the Marubai Temple. Matunga also houses some famous cultural centres, namely, the Mysore Association, the Gujarati Seva Mandal and the Karnataka Sangh Hall. There is also the famous Shanmukhananda Auditorium, where major cultural events take place.

Calendar: The temple website publishes a yearly calendar of temple activities. The events are listed month wise, with the dates and days specified for each activity.

Philosophy: The daily poojas are conducted strictly by the rules set out in Vedic, Tantric and Agama scriptures.

Active/Dormant: Active

Aakar/Nirakar: Aakar