Banganga - a piece of the past trapped in the future

While having a leisurely cup of tea on a lazy Sunday morning, Mummun casually remarked "Have you ever been to Banganga?". Probably something in the newspaper she was reading triggered her question. It took me a moment to register what she meant. It struck me that even though I have lived a sizable portion of my life in this city and have on numerous occasions passed within a stone’s throw, I had never actually ventured to this ancient quarter of Mumbai’s cityscape. Having nothing better to do, I suggested we visit the place right away. Munmun jumped at the Idea and so we set out to explore the ancient tank of Banganaga located in the heart of one of the poshest localities of modern Mumbai.

A panoramic view of Banganga Tank with the Walkeshwar Temple in the background.

Walkeshwar Temple

Legend has it that Lord Ram, while searching for his beloved Sita stopped here to rest. Fatigued and thirsty, he asked  brother Laxman to fetch him water. Laxman immidiately put an arrow to his bow and shot it into the earth to bring out sweet flowing water for his brother to quench his thirst. The water apparently flowed  from the Ganga, many thousand miles away. And thus the name Banganga, Ban meaning arrow and Ganga for the water from the holy river.

The river of course has long since disappeared and what exists to this day is a tank surrounded by many small temples. The tank was apparently built in 1127 AD by Lakshman Prabhu, a minister in the court of the King of Silhara dynasty, the rulers of Thane. It was rebuild along with the Walkeshwar Temple by Rama Kamath, a Mumbai businessman and philanthropist in 1715 AD. The tank is supplied by a spring and thus the water is sweet even though it is just meters from the sea.

The Jabreshwar Mahadev Temple sandwiched
between high rise buildings.

After finding a suitable parking on the congested and narrow roads at the very end of Walkeshwar behind the Raj Bhawan offices and staff quarters , we walked down to the tank (I managed to get a parking only because it was a Sunday. On weekdays public transport would be the recommended mode for anyone planning to visit Banganga). To reach the tank from the southern end you need to go down a flight of stone stairs. As you descend down the stairs you are stopped in your tracks at the sight of the ancient Jabreshwar Mahadev temple sandwiched between two high rise apartments with not an inch of space between them. The new and the old merge reflecting the harsh pressures on this bustling city.

The first sight of the tank arouses a mixture of emotions. One is awestruck by the beauty of the water framed by stone steps and the scores of ducks, geese, birds, cows and dogs going about their business in complete harmony with the humans around them. The utter contrast of this little oasis right in the middle of  chock-a-block concrete skyscrapers rattle your senses. 

A closer look as you near the tank, soon reminds you that you are in a Hindu place of worship, replete with bright shades of saffron and red, tonsured heads, distant chanting and whiffs of incense. Rituals being performed in small groups guided by priests, followed by a dip in the tank along with the offerings including flowers, leaves, rice, fruits, sweets and the plastic bags containing them. The offerings are soon gobbled up by the fish and the duck. Some probably choke on the plastics or may be they have learned to avoid them and forgive the sins of the lesser mortals. Whatever is not disposed in the tank is left on the banks to rot. Walking around the tank is akin to walking in a minefield albeit of garbage and excrement. No one seems to mind! But only to be fair, I remember reading some where that the tank is indeed cleaned once a year, in February, just before The Banganga Festival, an important event in the cultural calender of Mumbai.

Guardian of the Gods!

Pilgrims and tourists, though, are not the only people who visit Banganga. A little landing between two flights of steps became a makeshift pitch for a Sunday morning game of cricket. We wondered how they would get the ball if it was lofted into the tank. I guess a bit of swimming while fielding wont hurt. The sheer beauty and the colorful milieu attracts artists and photographers trying to capture this little corner of Mumbai seemingly caught in a time warp.

Artists capturing the moment.