Girgaon Chowpatty
The beach at the end of Marine Drive: bhelpuri, balloon-sellers and Ganesh immersions
At a glance: Girgaon Chowpatty is the beach at the end of Marine Drive: bhelpuri, balloon-sellers and Ganesh immersions. It's open 24 hours. Entry is free. Allow 1 hour. Best time to visit: Evening; Anant Chaturdashi, the last day of the Ganesh festival, for the immersions. Nearest station: Charni Road (Western), 5 min walk.
Plan your visit
- Opening hours
- Open 24 hours
- Entry fee
- Free
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Best time to visit
- Evening; Anant Chaturdashi, the last day of the Ganesh festival, for the immersions
- Nearest station
- Charni Road (Western), 5 min walk
- Address
- Marine Drive, Girgaon, Mumbai 400007
About Girgaon Chowpatty
Chowpatty is where Marine Drive's promenade turns into sand. It's quiet in the day. Most people come in the evening, when the food stalls are busy and families sit out on the beach. During Ganesh Chaturthi, in August or September, this is the city's main immersion point, and hundreds of thousands of people carry their idols down to the sea.
There's no gate or ticket, and no official closing time either, though the police sometimes clear groups off the sand late at night, so don't count on staying much past midnight. In the evening you can see the lights of Marine Drive curving away along the bay. In 2019 FSSAI, the national food regulator, inspected the stalls and certified them as a Clean Street Food Hub.
Lokmanya Tilak was cremated here. When he died in 1920 his funeral crowd was so large that the authorities allowed the cremation on the beach instead of at a crematorium, and his statue, unveiled in 1933, stands on the spot in the small garden beside the sand.
Tips
- The bhelpuri stalls in the licensed food plaza are the safe bet
- Don't swim here. The water isn't clean
- Walk up Marine Drive from Nariman Point at sunset and finish here
- Mani Bhavan, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed in Bombay, is about 15 minutes' walk inland in Gamdevi
Frequently asked questions
What are the opening hours of Girgaon Chowpatty?
Girgaon Chowpatty is open 24 hours.
How much does it cost to visit Girgaon Chowpatty?
Entry to Girgaon Chowpatty is free.
How long do you need at Girgaon Chowpatty?
Allow 1 hour at Girgaon Chowpatty.
When is the best time to visit Girgaon Chowpatty?
Evening; Anant Chaturdashi, the last day of the Ganesh festival, for the immersions.
How do I get to Girgaon Chowpatty?
The nearest station is Charni Road (Western), 5 min walk. Girgaon Chowpatty is at Marine Drive, Girgaon, Mumbai 400007.
Itineraries that include Girgaon Chowpatty
A Day of Eating in South Mumbai
Irani chai to seafood dinner, walked off between meals
Mumbai with Kids
A hands-on science museum, a giant shoe, a beach and bhelpuri
Where to eat nearby
More beaches & waterfronts
Bandstand Promenade
Bandra's seafront walk, from Shah Rukh Khan's gate to a Portuguese fort
Juhu Beach
Mumbai's people's beach: chaat stalls, horse rides and Bollywood sunsets
Marine Drive
The Queen's Necklace: a 3.6 km sweep of sea wall, Art Deco and sunset