Mumbai Mania

On a quest to discover a new place in Mumbai, we went to the historical Banganga tank, situated in Walkeshwar temple complex on the southernmost tip of Malabar Hill in South Mumbai.

It is hidden behind one of the posh areas in Mumbai. Banganga Tank has holy significance, dating back to the 14th century, when it was built over a freshwater spring under the Silhara dynasty, and today it shows the contrasting landscape of Mumbai.

With traditional temple complex and slums on one side and towering buildings on the other, Banganga is the oldest surviving structure in the city. It still retains its old world charm to some extent.

We ended up spending good amount of time at this place, adn discovering different flavors of Mumbai at one place. Lets take a look at variety of pictures of Banganga.

The narrow path leading to the tank takes around 10-15 minutes, with two-storey houses on either sides and colorful temples, resembling Bombay of olden times. Straight ahead you can also see the Arabian Sea and the sky was lovely that day.

For a moment it felt as if I wasn't in Mumbai, and then when you look beyond the small houses you see the encroaching structures.



Opposite to the entrance of the tank was a Shiva painting on the wall, surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the himalayas.
The Holy Quotient

Its an ancient stepped tank, where devotees believe that the mossy waters has healing powers and originated from a natural spring created by an arrow shot by Rama (the hero of the Ramayana), who rested here while on a mission to rescue his beloved Sita from the demon king's abode in Lanka.

The source of the spring is said to be an underground offshoot of the Ganga, and the waters are considered just as sacred as those of the great river itself. The tank's name derives from this story - Baan (arrow in English) and Ganga (is the Ganges River). which is believed to have has some newly constructed and some dilapidated. There were few workers replacing the old stones with new ones.

Banganga is suppose to be a heritage structure, here is the remain of the ancient stone step, while newer stones are being placed.

What immediately strikes on seeing the tank is the presence of marine life in this 25feet deep tank. There were large number of ducks, little Cormorant, ....gently floating on the water surface. Along with them, different species of fishes like Rohu, Mangoor, Kolkatta fish, and Turtles are also present in the tank.


So the tank was littered with remains of a religious ceremony - garlands, banana leaves, plastic bags - a common feature in any water body in Mumbai. This duck didn't want a bite of that, as several moved around searching for fish.

A pujari chanting his prayers on the other side of the tank, behind him are ducks taking a break! Banganga is a popular attraction Mumbai as many tourists visit the place. Banganga Music Festival was an important cultural event held every year, which had various artists showcasing their talent. But Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), the organisers, won't host the event anymore, putting curtains on this show. MTDC pulled out of public-private partnership because it felt exploited by the joint organisers and sponsors. The original entrance to Banganga used to have diyas to decorate them in ancient times. The kids residing in the same vicinity playing in the water. It seemed their daily entertainment, diving, performing all kinds of stunts, in water. In fact few of them asked us to take their pictures jumping in water. They definitely seemed excited and energetic of their evening activity. Few workers painting the temple shrine in the background. Another colorful temple in the background. In the vicinity are some really old temples like Venkateshwar Balaji temple, a Peshwa era temple, Rameshwar Mandir (temple), making it a devotional hub. Two corners of the tank had garbage floating in it, a pity sight, considering how vibrant and peaceful the place is and little has been done to keep it clean. Mnay people wash their utensils, take a dip in the water, and even fill pots. As Janmashtami, the festival to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna, was on the following day, people around the city have handi (a clay pot), suspended high above the ground, containing prizes. Then youngsters form a human tower to break the handi. Here a group of boys were getting ready to put the handi up. It was a big occassion, accompanied by music, dance and lot of enthusiasm.

The magical sky with the sun setting behind the clouds was an absolute treat. On the coastline nestled several slums, and opposite them were skyscrapers. That reflects the disparity between the rich and the poor.

As we walked ahead entering unknown lanes and bylanes, we were amazed to see that people living here were in a way cut off from the main city. They all were willing ot strike a pose for the camra.

There was a small garden close by, looked like it was recently opened for people to take their evening walks. Unfortunately the garden was fenced from all sides, making it impossible to sight the seafront. However, if you look close, it had a slope for handicapped people to move up their wheelchair, a rare sight in Mumbai as it is not handicap-friendly.
At the end of the day, we were satisfied with the experience of seeing a different part of the city. Mumbai is quite cosmopolitan in nature. Banganga is a true example of its diversity.

How to Reach Banganga Tank

Coming up via the Walkeshwar slope from Chowpatty, take the straight road to Teenbatti Junction. From Teenbatti, go further ahead to reach Walkeshwar Bus Depot. Banganga Tank and Temple complex is a 10-minute walk from Walkeshwar Bus Depot.