Banganga Tank set for makeover, Ram Kund to be revived

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai plans to uplift the Banganga Tank, a heritage precinct, to attract tourists and facilitate religious rituals. The plan includes reviving an 11th-century Ram Kund, removing encroachments, creating public amenities, and restoring the heritage look. The project is estimated to cost ₹12 crore, with ₹5 crore from the BMC and the rest from various sources. The tender will be issued soon.

Mumbai It is called Mumbai’s Ganges, and it is where the late Lata Mangeshkar’s ashes were immersed. The Banganga Tank, nestled in the heart of one of the city’s most expensive neighbourhoods – Walkeshwar, is set to get a facelift. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to uplift the precinct to attract tourists and facilitate religious rituals for devotees.

Banganga Tank attracts 10,000 devotees on Kartik Purnima. They also gather here annually during Pitrupaksha, for ‘pind daan’ (a ritual performed in the memory of ancestors). (Kunal Patil/HT Photo)

Its chief objective is to revive an 11th century Ram Kund and restore it to its former glory. Now buried under debris, it is located 400 meters away from Banganga Tank, but within the precinct, on its exit towards the sea. Legend has it Lord Ram performed his father Dashrath’s ‘asthi visarjan’ (immersion of ashes) in the kund, on the 13th day from his demise.

Apart from this, the civic body plans to remove the 100-odd encroachments around the tank, create designated seating and public niches for ritualistic offerings, provide public amenities and recreate a heritage look along the pathways and lanes leading up to the place. CCTV surveillance will also be set up. The cost of this enterprise is pegged at ₹12 crore. ₹5 crore will come from BMC’s purse while the rest will be given by M P Lodha from MLA funds, the state government and tourism department.

The Grade-1 heritage precinct is privately owned by the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Temple Trust (GSBTT) and maintained by the state archaeology department.

Banganga Tank attracts 10,000 devotees on Kartik Purnima. They also gather here annually during Pitrupaksha, for ‘pind daan’ (a ritual performed in the memory of ancestors).

At one time, the two-day Banganga Music Festival held a place of pride in the city’s cultural calendar. It was pulled out in 2006, and plans are on to revive it in February 2024. Classical music maestros such as Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Zakir Hussain have performed here on a full moon night.

“We proposed the Ram Kund, as we had found an exit of Banganga waters towards the sea earlier. That location used to be called Ram Kund, where rituals used to take place, including the nirmalya visarjan. We wanted to revive that. Unfortunately, the location of the kund is filled with debris,” said Rutwik Aurangabadkar, CEO (projects), GSBTT. He added, the restoration and the clearing out of encroachments will take place only when the kund is revived.

Sharad Ughade, assistant commissioner, D-Ward, said, “The two approach roads to the tank will be done up after the encroachments are removed and people are rehabilitated nearby. The steps will be repaired thereafter.”

Chief minister Eknath Shinde visited the site on October 1 and evinced keenness on the project, whose principal architect is Shashi Prabhu and conservation architect Vikas Dilawari.

The tender will be issued on Friday.

Proposed plan

Banganga Tank is an 11th century Grade-1 heritage precinct belonging to Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Temple Trust. There are 16 prominent temples, including Kashi and Kavale Math, in the precinct.

The plan is to revive Ram Kund, to perform asthi visarjan (immersion of ashes of the deceased) and other religious rituals.

Create public niches for putting diyas and flowers into a smaller tank by the side, to preserve and keep the main tank clean.

Demolition of shanties by the tank; the inhabitants will be rehabilitated nearby.

An entryway from the Kavalemath Municipal Pathway will be developed.

Three-stepped entryways to the precinct from the main road.

Setting up public toilets.

Restoration and retrofitting work of the tank.

Creating water spouts for water aeration.

Uplift the facades with various typologies.

Develop three vantage points, signages and wayfinding for the precinct.

Restoration of the stone steps.

Stone signages will be engraved on the retaining wall with references from Varanasi.

Development of the precinct peripheral road.