Mahalaxmi Temple is one of the most famous temples of Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

 situated on Bhulabhai Desai Road. It is dedicated to Mahalakshmi the central deity of Devi Mahatmyam. There are three idols of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswthi. The temple was built in 1831 by Dhakji Dadaji (1760–1846), a Hindu merchant.

Built around 1785, the history of this temple is supposedly connected with the building of the Hornby Vellard

Hornby Vellard

The Hornby Vellard was a project to build a causeway uniting all seven islands of Bombay into a single island with a deep natural harbour. The project was started by the governor William Hornby in 1782 and all islands were linked by 1838...

. Apparently after portions of the sea wall of the Vellard collapsed twice, the chief engineer, a Pathare prabhu

Pathare prabhu

Pathare Prabhu is one of the Hindu communities in the city of Mumbai . These people are among earliest settlers in the city. They are known to have one of the oldest academic traditions amongst Hindus on par with Brahmins. They were amongst the first of the Hindus to adopt to British educational...

, dreamt of a Devi statue in the sea near Worli

Worli

-History:Worli was one of the original seven islands that constituted the city of Mumbai. Although primarily a fishing village, the Worli Fort, a British fort that is now in ruins, is located there. Its original resident was the legendary Dishankeshwar Kalsi who has also been recognized in several...

. A search recovered it, and he built a temple for it. After this, the work on the vellard could be completed without a hitch.