Banganga Tank

The Banganga Tank, (also known as Metamuse) is an ancient[1] water tank which is part of the Walkeshwar Temple Complex in Malabar Hill area of the city of Mumbai, India.

Banganga Tank and Walkeshwar Temple c. 1855

"Banganga" redirects here. For other uses, see Banganga (disambiguation).
The Banganga Tank

History
See also: History of Mumbai

The Tank was built in the 1127 AD, by Lakshman Prabhu, a minister in the court of Silhara dynasty kings of Thane.[2][3]

It was rebuilt in 1715 AD, out of a donation for the Walkeshwar Temple by Rama Kamath.[4] The main temple, has been reconstructed since then and is at present a reinforced concrete structure of recent construction.

Banganga in Mythology
Shikhara of the Shri Kashi Math as seen from Banganga Tank

According to local legend, it sprang forth when the Lord Rama, the exiled hero of the epic Ramayana, stopped at the spot in search of his kidnapped wife Sita.

As the legend goes, overcome with fatigue and thirst, Rama asked his brother Lakshmana to bring him some water. Laxman instantly shot an arrow into the ground, and water gushed forth from the ground, creating a tributary of the Ganges, which flows over a thousand miles away, hence its name, Banganga, the Ganga created by a baan (arrow).[5]

The Banganga also houses the 'Shri Kashi Math' and 'Shri Kaivalya or Kavale Math' of the Goud Saraswat Brahmins at its banks and samadhis of their various past heads of the Math.[6]

The area also has a Hindu cremation ground[7] which after 2003, received a makeover to house a gas crematorium.[8]

The area still has an old Hindu cemetery consisting of samadhi shrines of various Advaita gurus, such as Sri Siddarameshwar Maharaj (1888–1936) and his disciple, Sri Ranjit Maharaj (1913–2000).[9][10]

Present Day

The tank today is a rectangular pool structure surrounded by steps on all four sides. At the entrance are two pillars in which diyas (oil lamps) were lit in ancient times.

The tank, as well as the main Walkeshwar Temple and the Parshuram Temple belong to the Goud Saraswat Temple Trust, which once owned most of the property in the complex. Many Goud Saraswat Brahmin families (Rege, Anaokar, Mulgaonkar, Kenkre, Sakhardande, Sukthankar, Keni, Marudkar, Naik, Wartikar, Warerkar, Bidikar, Bhende, Prabhawalkar, Pagnis) still reside in the Temple Trust buildings in the complex.

The tank is spring-fed, thus its water remains sweet, despite being located only a few dozen meters away from the sea. Apart from being a cultural hub, the place over the years has provided inspiration to many artists, be it on film or on canvas.

References
  1. "Repairs at Banganga, 2 January 2008". Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
  2. Banganga, Walkeshwar history
  3. "Banganga". Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  4. Walkeshwar Temple History
  5. Destinations in Mumbai
  6. Gowd Saraswat Brahmin Math at Banganga
  7. "Banganga cremation grounds". Archived from the original on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
  8. Banganga Crematorium Makeover
  9. "Meet the Sage". Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
  10. Journey to Banganga, Trilok Gurtu

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