I was one of the 20-odd history/culture buffs who joined the Banganga Parikrama Walk by Khaki Tours. Soaked in many ways was I in this Parikrama on a warm and humid Sunday evening.
Soaked with
absorbing stories. Soaked in Mumbai sweat. Soaked in the holy Ganga water
(well, feet and hands only).
I am sure not
many people are aware that Banganga is the oldest continuously inhabited
settlement.
Steeped in many
such interesting facts, absorbing stories, legends, and fascinating history,
this was a place I had been dying to visit (pun not intended) for a long time.
Banganga at
Walkeshwar - Built in 1127 CE by Laxman Prabhu a minister during the Shilahara
dynasty was renovated in the 1700s by a wealthy GSB Rama Kamat. The Banganga
precinct continues to be under the GSB Temple Trust even today. Hearing this
the GSB pride in me was quite stoked. It is believed that some families have been
staying here for as long as 15 generations. With a Grade I heritage status this
place is a treasure trove within its by-lanes and gullies.
The sacred
tank gained religious importance thanks to a mythological story. Legends say
that Rama and Lakshman on their way to Lanka in search of Sita made their pit
stop here to pray to Lord Shiva. Ram created a Shiva linga from sand, which
came to be known as Valuka Ishwar (meaning an idol made of sand in Sanskrit),
thus lending the area its current name – Walkeshwar. Tired and thirsty from
long travel, Ram (or Lakshman) shot an arrow (Baan) into the ground and a freshwater
tributary (supposedly) of the Ganga sprouted from below the surface. That is
how this temple/sacred tank got its name – Banganga. There is also another
version mentioned in Skanda Purana. Lord Parshuram, an incarnation of Lord
Vishnu, who is believed to have created the Konkan Coast, created the
freshwater spring at Banganga by shooting his arrow into the ground.
Whichever legend
you would like to believe or not believe, this sacred tank for Hindus according
to me is the consequence of an act of faith. A faith that draws thousands of
believers from all over the country.
Interestingly, the Banganga precinct is not just about the temples and houses of its long-time
residents. It also has a Dhobhi Ghat and a Hindu graveyard (yes, you read it
right) for Sanyasis located at the back side of the tank. So, you see, the
Banganga precinct offers us assorted cleansing options, whether it’s your soul or soiled clothes.
Among all
stories, one story, however, tugged at my heart. Within the precincts of
Banganga also lie the ruins of the house where Pandit Vishnu Bhatkhande was
born and lived. A scholar who many may not know was an Indian musicologist who
wrote the first modern treatise on Hindustani classical music. Art that had
been propagated for centuries mostly through oral traditions got codified thanks
to him. The classic document “Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati” (in four volumes),
written by him, forms today the standard text on Hindustani music, an
indispensable starting point for any student of Hindustani Classical Music.
If born in Europe, a man of his stature would have had a museum. Sadly, his house lies in
ruins.
Lastly, thanks to Ninad Phatarpekar, Khaki Tours for regaling us with stories and humor
on our two-hour walk through the by-lanes and gullies of 800-year-old history.
