Sacred Tank, Sinking City The Urban Threat to 'Mini-Kashi'

Nestled amid the urban sprawl of Malabar Hill, Mumbai's Banganga Tank stands as a living relic where myth, memory, and modernity intersect.

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Yet today, it battles encroaching skyscrapers, crumbling temples, polluted waters, and fading community ties. Once a cradle of devotion and art, Banganga now faces the existential question of whether a sacred space can survive in a city obsessed with speed and real estate, Stuti Upadhyay ponders in this article.

A Hidden Oasis amidst Mumbai's Chaos

Tucked away in the labyrinthine lanes of Malabar Hill, not too far from the high-rise glamour and Marine Drive glitter of South Mumbai, lies the Banganga Tank, a tranquil oasis steeped in legend, layered history, and spiritual depth. Revered as the 'Mini Kashi of Bombay', Banganga has for centuries stood as a living symbol of Mumbai's geography. Today, however, this serene reservoir faces unprecedented challenges from the very city that grew around it.

Myth and Miracle: The Arrow that drew the Ganga

The origins of Banganga Tank are shrouded in mythology. It is believed that during his exile, Lord Rama stopped at this very spot and asked his brother Lakshmana to fetch some water for him. Lakshmana shot an arrow into the ground, and miraculously, a spring of fresh water emerged. Despite its proximity to the Arabian Sea, the tank remains filled with sweet, potable water to this day—an enigma even in geological terms.

The word 'Banganga' derives from ban (arrow) and Ganga (the sacred river), as the spring is believed to be connected to the Ganges itself spiritually, if not physically. For centuries, the site has attracted sages, pilgrims, and priests who perform last rites and holy dips having belief that the water carries the sanctity of the Ganges.