Walkeshwar Temple

Getting there

• By train

  Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Mumbai Central are the major railway stations of Mumbai.

• By road

  Once you are in Mumbai, you can use taxis, auto-rickshaws or local trains to reach your destination in the city.

Why devotees come here

Walkeshwar Temple is an ancient Shiva temple near Malabar Hill in South Mumbai. It stands at the highest point of the city, close to the Banganga tank. Legend links the place to Rama on his way to Lanka.

Walkeshwar Temple is dedicated to Shiva and is also called the Baan Ganga Temple. Legend says Rama paused here on his way from Ayodhya to Lanka, pursuing Ravana, who had kidnapped Sita. He is said to have made the first linga out of sand, tired of waiting for his brother Lakshman to bring an idol.

The name Banganga comes from bana, an arrow, and the Ganges. One telling says Rama shot an arrow and brought the Ganges here. Another says Lakshmana shot an arrow into the ground and water gushed out as a tributary of the Ganges.

History says Lakshman Prabhu, a minister at the court of the Silhara kings, built the temple and tank in 1127 AD. The Portuguese destroyed the temple in the 16th century, and Rama Kamat funded its rebuilding. The main temple has since been rebuilt again in reinforced concrete. The spring-fed tank has steps on all four sides, and its water stays sweet though the sea is a few dozen metres away. The Goud Saraswat Temple Trust owns the tank and the temple.

Festivals

• NovemberDev Diwali

  A large crowd lights lamps around the Banganga tank, with bhajans and chants.

• Every yearHindustani classical music festival

  The site hosts an annual festival of Hindustani classical music.

Tips for your visit

• Expect more people on full moon and Amavasya days, when the temple is busiest.
• Jabreshwar Mahadev Mandir, another Shiva temple, stands at the same tank.
• The Hanging Gardens and a Jain temple are also on Malabar Hill.

Questions people ask