Ban Ganga

Monday, January 23, 2012

Ban Ganga is located in Walkeshwar and can be easily accessed by road. Taxis and buses frequently ply there. I was told about this place by Parag, an ex-colleague of mine. So I headed off to see this place.

View of Ban Ganga

Ban Ganga is a part of the Walkeshwar Temple complex in Malabar Hill.

Having checked with the locals, I was able to locate this place. It is surrounded by many temples.

Temples near Ban Ganga

This place is really beautiful and reminded me of the ghats at the banks of the river Ganga.

There is a rectangular water tank in the middle with steps on four sides leading to it. There are two pillars at the entrance where oil lamps were lit in ancient times.

Swans

History states that this tank was originally built in 1127 AD by Lakshman Prabhu and was later rebuilt in 1715 AD by Rama Kamath.

Mythology states that Rama, the Hindu god, had stopped there on his way to Lanka to rescue his wife, Sita. As Ram was tired and thirsty, he asked his brother, Laxman, to bring him some water. Laxman shot an arrow in the ground and at once water gushed out from that spot. This place is called Ban Ganga, meaning Ganga created by means of an arrow (ban in Sanskrit).

Another view of Ban Ganga

Ban ganga houses the samadhis of the heads of the Groud Saraswat Brahmins. It also doubles up as the Hindu cremation ground.

This area smelled really bad. The stink was horrible. I felt nauseous. Also to my surprise many eagles flew above the area. I wondered why. To my surprise there are many people who stay nearby. Wonder how they have managed to adjust to the stink.

Contrast Picture of a Rustic Ban Ganga and a skyscraper near it

To add to this I saw two young boys bathing in the water. The water was green in colour. I was wondering if the water was clean and good enough for them to bathe in.

I shot a few photos here and then left in a hurry as the stink was driving me nuts.

Haji Ali Dargah

Friday, January 20, 2012

Haji Ali Dargah can be reached either on foot or by a vehicle as it is very close to Mahalaxmi Railway Station.

Boarding a BEST bus, I alighted at the Haji Ali junction. This place is always the site of a traffic jam. The landmark to look out for here is the Haji Ali juice centre. Next to this juice centre, there is a path which takes you to the dargah. For that matter, the dargah itself is a landmark.

Haji Ali Dargah from a Distance

 On the way to the dargah you will see a number of stalls selling offerings to be offered at the dargah. The stretch can be covered in 15 minutes.

Entrance to the Dargah

 The Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431 in memory of Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, who gave up his possessions before going on a pilgramage to Mecca. He later settled in Mumbai. Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari had a recurring and disturbing dream that he had committed an offence against the earth. Disturbed by the dream, he fell ill and directed his followers to cast his coffin into the Arabian Sea, on his death. When his followers did as he directed, they noticed that tThe coffin carrying his body floated on the shores and got stuck on the rocks. It was at this place that the dargah was constructed.

Dargah

 The dargah features Islamic architecture. It occupies an area of 4,500 sq ft. The tomb in the mosque is covered by a red and green chaddar. There are separate praying rooms for gents and ladies here.

Beautifully Carved Minaret

 People of all faiths visit this shrine in large numbers. I found some musicians playing devotional songs in the dargah premises. The dargah is reconstructed part by part so that it does not hamper the people visiting the dargah.

Devotional Singers in the premises

 The reconstruction is being done in two phases. The first phase involves the reconstruction of the mosque and minarets; the second phase involves the sanitarium building.

Old and New Minaret

On a rainy day when there is a high tide, the entire stretch of land leading to the dargah is submerged under water, making it an island. People are restricted from entering the premises at such times.

As the dargah is located in the middle of the sea, it provides a panoramic view of the city.

Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat

Monday, January 16, 2012

I had absolutely no idea that Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat is visible from the bridge atop Mahalaxmi railway station. The first time I realised this was the day I went to see it. The dhobi ghat is located on the eastern side, quite close to the railway station at a place called Saat Raasta.

A view of Dhobi Ghat from the Bridge

 The place is a sight. Everywhere there are tiny cubicles where dhobis, the Indian term for washermen, wash clothes. Clothes are soaked, washed, flogged and hung to dry. A nice mosaic is formed from the same.

Washing Stations at Dhobi Chat

 The clothes that the dhobis wash come from hospitals and hotels. They are washed in concrete wash basins. This is the world’s largest outdoor laundry.

Clothes drying at Dhobi Ghat

 When I saw them washing the clothes, I thought that I would personally prefer to wash my clothes myself when my washing machine conks off, instead of giving the job to the dhobis. Otherwise, I won’t have my clothes back in one piece.

White Linen drying at Dhobi Ghat

The dhobi ghat is a very famous tourist spot. Lots of tourists come here to click pictures and see the dhobis in action. The place is also featured in a number of advertisements, movies and television shows.

The Gateway of India in Mumbai

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Gateway of India is located on the waterfront at Apollo Bunder in South Mumbai. It is surrounded by a lot of historic structures, including the spectacular Taj Mahal Hotel.

The Gateway was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai. It was opened to the public in December 1924.

The Gateway fo India

It was designed by the Scotsman George Wittet (1878-1926), who helped popularise the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture that combined Gothic-like flamboyance with Muslim-Indian architectural features. Built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete, the structure stands 85 feet high.

From the Gateway, there are ferries plying to Elephanta Caves and Mandwa, the pit stop on the way to Alibag by sea.

The Gateway fo India

The Gateway is visited by people throughout the year by Indians and foreign nationals alike. You can also get a photo of yourself, with the Gateway of India in the background, clicked by a professional photographer for a price.

The Gateway of India is truly an imposing structure.

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Gilbert Hill in Mumbai (Andheri W)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Gilbert Hill is located in Andheri (W) closeby to Andheri Railway Station and Bhavan's College.


I was enjoying the view from the 9^th floor of my brother’s flat in Andheri (West) when I espied in the distance an interesting rock formation surrounded by buildings all around. I googled the same (Thank God for Google maps) and got to know that the rock formation goes by the name of Gilbert Hill.

Gilbert Hill is 197 feet tall and is made up of black basalt rock. Its vertical face was formed when the molten lava was squeezed out from its clefts. It has been around for nearly 65 million years. Quite some time now.

Gilbert Hill

Another structure of the same type is located in USA and is called Devil’s Tower.

I asked Shailesh, a friend of mine who is not keen on going on outdoor trips. So I wanted him to accompany me on an easy trip. I asked him to join me on a visit to this structure. We boarded a BEST bus to Gilbert Hill from Andheri station, bus no. 250. From there we decided to walk to the base of the fort.

Stairway to Gilbert Hill

The staircase which leads to the top of the fort has been newly built and is very steep. Shailesh was quite tired on the upward climb. Finally we reached the top. There are two Hindu temples and a small garden in the fort. The hill offers a panoramic view of suburban Mumbai.

I was surprised to see that there is a structure like this in my backyard. Unfortunately, the land around the area has been taken over by the builder community and the area is seeing a lot of construction. I was not happy to see that new buildings blossoming around in the area.

View from Top

It took us around 30 minutes to see it. Later we decided to descend and head home.