Half Ticket Travel – The Climb to Gilbert Hill & Goan Devi Temple
It was a Saturday. A weekend. And as usual, the traveller inside me was getting all fidgety—kahi toh nikalna hai yaar!
But then… hai hai yeh mausam, yeh majboori…
On one side was my “teri do takkey ki naukri,” and on the other side was my “laakhon ka sawan jaye wala” weekend wanderer soul. Tug of war in full swing! 😅
As most of you who know me will agree—weekends are meant to be sacred. And by sacred, I mean travel-worthy. Work on a weekend? Na baba na. But this time, destiny (read: clients) had other plans. So, poor me, kya karta?
But you also know—never say die is my middle name! 😎
So, I thought, ek poora din nahi mila toh kya? Half ticket se kaam chalayenge. Ghar ke paas hi kahin nikal jaate hain.
And that’s how the plan took shape—a quick visit to Gilbert Hill and the Gaondevi Temple perched on top of it.
What’s the deal with Gilbert Hill?
Now before we march ahead, a quick fun fact:
Gilbert Hill is a 200-ft tall monolith column of black basalt rock right in the heart of Andheri. Sounds cool, right?
Formed around 66 million years ago due to volcanic eruptions (yes, Mumbai was once volcanic, imagine that!), this baby is similar in structure to the Devils Postpile in the USA. It’s one of the only two such formations in the world!
But the sad part? Urbanisation has wrapped this natural wonder in layers of concrete like a gift nobody asked for.
It now sticks out like a relic of nature struggling to breathe among buildings and wires. Still, for history and geology nerds—and wanderers like me—it’s worth the detour.
The Story Begins…
Armed with an umbrella in one hand and my wife’s unwavering spirit in the other, we marched out from home towards Andheri Metro Station.
Hop on the metro train, zoom past a few buildings, and get off at Azad Nagar.
From there began the real Moh Maya—narrow lanes, tangled wires above, and old chawls that whispered stories of a bygone Mumbai and contrasting skyscrapers too along the way . Soon, we reached the base of Gilbert Hill. And there it stood—majestic, mysterious… and sadly, barricaded.
We started climbing the initial flight of stairs when—twist in the tale—the gate was locked.
“Saala aaj din hi kharaab hai,” I muttered. 😤
On the other side of the gate were some kids playing cricket like they owned the hill. I asked, “Beta, tu log andar kaise gaya?”
The kid, in his most matter-of-fact voice, pointed to a steep, muddy patch alongside the stairs and said, “Udhar se chad jao.”
Hmm… shortcut toh hai, par slope thoda Jackie Chan wala lag raha hai.
While we stood there contemplating our next move, the caretaker came—like a filmi side character—fumbling with the keys. Alas, the lock refused to open. So much drama and still… no entry. 😑
Then came our Akshay Kumar Khiladi moment.
We decided—aaj toh kisi ka baap bhi humein Gilbert Hill chadhne se nahi rok sakta!
So, with full josh, we scaled the muddy patch like pros and landed on the other side. Victory? Not so soon, my friend.
There it was—another gate. Locked again!
This time, no shortcut, no Jackie Chan stunts—just a long wait.
Apparently, the temple opens at 4 PM, and we had reached by 3:55. Talk about timing! 🙈
So like good boys and girls, we sat near the gate and waited.
Soon, the caretaker returned, wiping his face and grumbling, “Aap log chhote bachchon ki baat sunte ho… time dekha hai?”
I wanted to say, “Bhai, main toh mountain climb ke liye bhi ready tha,” but I just smiled.
He finally opened the gate (hallelujah!), and we climbed the final 100–150 steps that led to the top.
Divine Views & Divine Darshan
Being the first two people to reach the temple, we were blessed with a calm, serene atmosphere.
The overcast skies, the gentle drizzle in the air—it was pure bliss. We took a moment to take in the panoramic view: zipping metro trains, the nearby ATC tower, and Mumbai’s endless stretch of high-rises.
Inside the temple, we offered our prayers to Gaondevi Mata, whose shrine quietly stands atop this ancient rock—watching over a city that never sleeps.
With our hearts full and spirits recharged, we began our descent.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, you don’t need long itineraries or exotic locations to find a little peace and adventure.
A small detour, a little climb, and a lot of laughter with someone special—that’s what makes it all worth it.
And remember—when life gives you half a day, turn it into a full memory.
Because… jaana toh zaroori hai bhai! 😉
To watch our journey check out this You tube video ↓
