Clean Ban Ganga was organised by New Acropolis (Mumbai) for the third time on Sunday, 11th October 2015. Eleven volunteers got together on a sunny morning to help maintain the cleanliness and sanctity of this ancient water tank nestled in a temple complex at Walkeshwar.
As the legend goes, the fresh water spring that feeds this tank dates back to when Laxman, at Sita’s behest, shot an arrow (Ban) to create a spring from the river Ganga. Hence the name, Ban Ganga. Considered to be one of the holiest places in the city, many Hindu rituals are regularly performed here.
The clean up held a special significance as it was the last day of Pitru-paksh ( a month devoted to remembering departed souls) and the eve of Navratri. The BMC too had taken proactive measures by placing many men and women to clean up after the rituals performed by hundreds all through the morning.
The activity began with a brief orientation to the value of volunteering along with an introduction to the history and mythology of the place. Volunteers not only cleaned up the place but also created ripples of awareness among the public who were curious to understand why people had gathered to clean up a mess made by others. On hearing the volunteers speak of the concept of service, several of them even joined the clean-up initiative. This, perhaps was the biggest achievement of the day!
