On Saturday March 5, 2022 New Acropolis Culture Circle hosted its first in-person event after 2 years of the pandemic. The heritage walk, ‘Discovering Banganga’ was led by member of New Acropolis – Vasant Sanzgiri to learn more about Banganga Tank situated at Walkeshwar, Mumbai, an area inhabited for over 1200 years, amidst the erstwhile dense forests of Malabar Hill. With over 100 temples and its associated legends, myths and stories, Vasant used these to highlight, the virtues that we could perhaps choose to emulate from each of these historical places.
The tank derives its name Banganga from two words – Baan (arrow) and Ganga (River Ganges). Legend has it that Lord Ram feeling thirsty and not finding sweet water to drink, shot an arrow in the ground, where a tributary of the river Ganga appeared in the form of spring which flows even today. The Banganga tank is an important feature of the Walkeshwar Shiva temple complex made in 1127 by the Kings of the Shilahara dynasty.
The walk explored the importance of heritage and the role that mythology can play in our lives today.
