BANGANGA : The Holy Parikrama

Myths are the intangible values attached to any place and many a time became the whole essence and base of it. Myth is a feature of every culture. Many sources for myths have been proposed, ranging from personification of nature or personification of natural phenomena, to truthful or hyperbolic accounts of historical events to explanations of existing rituals. A culture's collective mythology helps convey belonging, shared and religious experiences, behavioral models, and moral and practical lessons.

A story is told in the Skanda Purana about Parashuram, sixth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu, who killed the Kshatriya race and donated all land on earth to the sage Kashyap Muni, leaving himself no place to accomplish tapasya (penance). Standing atop the Sahyadri mountains, Parashuram persuaded Sagara, the ocean, to recede some distance. A long belt of land was thus created, west of the Sahyadri mountain range and stretching along the western coast of India from Kanyakumari in the south to Bharuch in the north and named Parashuram Kshetra.

Banganga Tank

Arial view of Banganga precinct. (Source-from the book Bombay:The cities within) 

The Skanda Purana asserts that in this new region the most sacred tirthasthana or centre of pilgrimage was Valukesho Mahashreshttho Banganga Saraswati or the holy Banganga at Valukeshwar in Maharashtra. This tank of Banganga in Bombay is perhaps the oldest and largest surviving Hindu tirthasthana on the island city, dating as it does in its present form to the early 18th century. Its earlier avatar, in fact, goes back much further to the era between the 9th and 13th centuries AD. What is even more astonishing is the fact that the myths and legends associated with the tank and the adjoining Walkeshwar temple complex emanate from the age-old Skanda Purana and further back from the epic Ramayan, which is believed to have been written about three centuries before the birth of Christ. (Rahul Mehrotra, Sharada Dwivedi)

BANGANGA : THE HOLY PARIKRAMA

Hearing about the historical weightage of Banganga, there was an aspiration craving inside my mind to visit the place, which was fulfilled when I got opportunity to go there for a college assignment given to us. It is really interesting to know that what I had heard and imagined was way too different from what I experienced. The place amused to this extent, that if I get an opportunity, I would blissfully go and reside just along the steps of great tank of Banganga. There are readings saying about the poor condition of houses and how the tank now seems to be polluted, but the fact I saw was that still the place is lively and filled with sight of children swimming, aged people performing prayer, ducks floating , people bathing and cleaning clothes at one end of the tank. This panorama of activity shows how vibrant the place is with so many things going on all around at the same hour.

another view of banganga precinct

Banganga the stepped tank is surrounded by temples, the most important being Walkeshwar samadhis (memorials), matths (hermitages), dharmashalas (pilgrim rest-houses) and residences, stands on the western edge of Malabar Hill, close to Raj Bhavan, the Government House estate at Malabar Point in Bombay. Many ancient myths and legends are connected with the site.

venkatesh balaji templ

The sacred geography of Malabar or  Walkeshwar Hill originally derived from several natural phenomena including the ancient and mystical Shri-Gundi or magic stone rock formation, which was reputed to have powers to absolve the sins of those who passed through its fissure. The original Walkeshwar temple and the Banganga tank built by the Shilahara rulers around the 10th century were destroyed, probably during Portuguese rule in the 16th and 17th centuries. The temple was reconstructed in the 18th century on land made available in the vicinity by the British authorities. (Rahul Mehrotra, Sharada Dwivedi)

Steps to Banganga

The beautiful array of steps around the tank (Pushkarni)

Walking from the teen-batti junction, through the busy road and high end apartments around the space shows tremendous transition once you enter the narrow lane leading to the tank. The tank being the focus of the precinct symbolically as well as physically, enveloped by the layer of heritage temples with the parikrama path offering the holy walk around it.  The edge of the tank is being captured by the migrants of various communities, they have built temporary structures.  The unplanned growth here has resulted in overcrowded narrow streets radiating out from the steps of the tank.

walking down the lanes of the holy precinct

The north entry to the tank

The tank is the heart of the place, thus the parikrama path around it carries a porous nature with having small entrances to the tank from few points which offers a quick glance to the tank while walking on it. The small openings are the entrances to the temples, matths and the houses of brahmins which revolves around the focus.

The Kund 

The interesting myths regarding Banganga are so astonishing that it will definitely make you visit this place. Banganga and Walkeshwar area is the ancient home of Gowd Saraswat Brahmins. Here stood the hermitage of the sage Gautam. Lord Rama came here with his brother, Lakshman in search of Mother Sita. He was thirsty. As there was no water readily available, he shot an arrow and brought Ganga over here. Hence Bana (arrow in Sanskrit) Ganga. Sage Gautam advised Lord Rama to worship Lord Shiva to get back his wife. Accordingly Lord Rama made a shivling from the sand (Valuka in Sanskrit) and so the word Walkeshwar Mahadev. According to another version Lord Parashuram shot an arrow and brought Ganga from Patala and so the other name Patalganga to Banganga. The first Walkeshwar Temple was constructed in 1127 AD by a GSB minister, Lakshman Prabhu, in the court of Shilahar Kings in Thane. It was reconstructed by the then famous Rama

Kamati in 1715 AD. (GSB Konkani)

the housing structures on west end of the tank

The western edge facing the sea holds people of fishermen (koli) community. This sea facing settlement with small g+1 houses, having access to the upper floors from external ladders and small gullies leading to the sea. Where the chunk of open spaces are maintained as the community spaces and also spaces for their day to day activity regarding occupation like making, mending boats/fish nets and as a drying yard for fishes etc. The common toilets placed at some points and at one end the common dhobi ghat is also provided.

Dhobighat

According to changing times, the nature and function of the places changes, but the essence of Banganga still remains the same with few alterations. The value of a built environment, therefore, is a conglomerate of its actual physical existence and the historical memories and myths people attach to it, bring to it, and project on it.— Oliver, P. (Oliver, 1993) The overlapping activities due to urbanization and change in lifestyles blends here with heritage.

The intensive development of Malabar Hill from the 1960s has resulted in this historic centre of pilgrimage being virtually engulfed by high-rise buildings. Despite these transformations the complex continues to resist these changes and serves as a sanctuary of calm in an otherwise bustling city. (Rahul Mehrotra, Sharada Dwivedi) The collaborative process of place making can be seen here by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value. More than just promoting better urban design, Place making facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution. This eventually turned making Banganga a recreational space too rather than just a religious place. The street surrounding is now having street vendors and small shops supporting temple activities and recreational activities as well making it more vibrant as a public place.


Address: Teen Batti, Walkeshwar Temple, Malabar Hill, Mumbai, Maharashtra
400006, India

Famous For: Banganga Tank, Banganga Festival, Walkeshwar temple, Hanging
Gardens

Timings: Always Open

Visiting duration: 1-2 hours

Nearby Tourist Attractions: Malabar Hills, Hanging Gardens, Kamala Nehru Park

How to reach: You can take Bus Number 108 from Charni Road Railway Station to
reach here. Mumbai is very well connected by taxis, autos, buses and the ever so


famous local trains. So take your pick of whatever seems most convenient.


Bibliography
GSB Konkani. (n.d.). http://www.gsbkonkani.net.
Konkani, G. (n.d.). http://www.gsbkonkani.net.
Oliver, P. (1993). O:Graber "Why History:the meanings and uses of tradition".
Rahul Mehrotra, Sharada Dwivedi. (n.d.). BAGANGA – SACRED TANK ON
MALABAR HILL.

Rahul Mehrotra, Sharada Dwivedi. (n.d.). Banganga- Sacred Tank.