Mumbai Mayor intervenes to stop pollution of Banganga

Religious trusts asked the mayor to intervene when construction work near the Walkeshwar temple made Banganga's water muddy

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar ordered to stop the excavation work in Malabar Hill which was polluting the ancient water source Banganga water tank.

Construction work near the Banganga Tank, part of the Walkeshwar temple complex, made its water muddy. After requests from Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and Gaud Saraswat Brahmans Temple Trust, Pednekar intervened.

“There are complaints that the pure water sources of Banganga Tank are getting polluted due to the ongoing construction works in the vicinity. Accordingly, the BMC’s D Ward office has served a notice and asked to maintain status quo till the realtor submits the report of the geologists,” Pednekar assured.

Banganga, considered one of the holiest sites in the city, 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.

“This historical place should not be destroyed. To keep this natural water source alive,” said Pednekar, a senior Shiv Sena leader. Pedkenar also visited the site for an on-spot assessment, accompanied by officials of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

“Due to the excavation work done for this purpose, the pure water coming naturally from Banganga Kunda has turned completely muddy and this water source has become polluted. Due to this construction, this historic water source is in danger of disappearing forever in the future. Therefore, this construction and the ongoing excavation work should be stopped immediately and permanently,” said HJS spokesperson Dr Uday Dhuri.

Onsite with assistant municipal commissioner Prashant Gaikwad, GSB Mandir Trust president Praveen Kanvinde and HJS's Satish Sonar, the mayor emphasized the historical and cultural importance of the Banganga.

The Tank was built in the 1127 AD, by Lakshman Prabhu, a minister in the court of Silhara dynasty kings of Thane. It was rebuilt in 1715 AD, out of a donation for the Walkeshwar Temple by Rama Kamath. The main temple has been reconstructed since then and is at present a reinforced concrete structure.

Legend has it that Lord Rama paused at that spot on his way from Ayodhya to Lanka in pursuit of the demon king Ravana who had kidnapped his wife, Sita. When advised to worship Shiva Lingam, it is said that he constructed an original linga of sand, after getting tired of waiting for his brother to bring one. The name is etymologically derived from the Sanskrit word for an idol made of sand — Valuka Iswar, an Avatar of Shiva.

As the story progresses, when Rama was thirsty, as there was no fresh water readily available — as is just next to the Arabian Sea, he shot an arrow and brought Ganga over here as a tributary. The water that feeds the tank stems from an underground spring at that spot, despite its proximity to the sea.