Walkeshwar Temple
Walkeshwar Temple | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
Deity | Shiva |
Location | |
Location | Malabar Hill, Mumbai |
State | Maharashtra |
Country | India |
Geographic coordinates | 18°56′42″N 72°47′38″E / 18.945°N 72.794°E |
Architecture | |
Funded by | Lakshman Prabhu |
Completed | 1127 |
Walkeshwar Temple, also known as the Baan Ganga Temple, is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Walkeshwar, near Malabar Hill neighbourhood, in South Mumbai precinct of the city of Mumbai, India. It is situated at the highest point of the city,[1] and close to the temple lies the Banganga Tank.
Legend
Legend has it that
.As the story progresses, when Rama was thirsty, as there was no fresh water readily available (only sea water), he shot an arrow and brought Ganges over here. Hence Bana (arrow in Sanskrit) Ganges. The water that feeds the tank stems from an underground spring at that spot, despite its proximity to the sea.
History
The temple and the attached fresh water
Even today the temple itself and much of the property in the complex belongs to the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Temple Trust.
The temple has inscriptions with 8 verses in Sanskrit, which describe the story of the temple. The inscription is given below;
अत्र शिलाहारन्वय समये द्वादशमिते शते क्रैस्ते |
शिवमन्दिरं पुराणं रेजे यल्लक्ष्मणेश्वराख्यमभ्रुत् ||1||
रचितं लक्ष्मणनाम्ना गोमन्तद्विजमहाप्रधानेन |
ऐतिह्ये वार्तेयं लोकें सौमित्रिणा तु संबद्धा ||2||
काले मुम्बाद्वीपे क्रूरफिरङ्गीतरङ्गभङ्गहते |
विध्वन्सितं तदैतत केवलमासीत शिलासमाहारः ||3||
मुम्बाद्वीपे पश्चात् आङ्ग् वणि क्य संघशासनं प्राप्ते |
आसीन्मुद्राध्यक्ष सेनाध्यक्षस्तथा महाश्रेष्ठी ||4||
सुमतिर्जनाभिराम पुण्यात्मा रामकामतिनाम |
सारस्वतं कुलं यो गार्ग्यं गोत्रं च भूषयामास ||5||
संस्थाप्यादौ 'कोटे' सामळियालाल-वेङ्कटेशौ सः |
नन्दशरर्षिधरित्री -मिते तदूर्ध्वं स विक्रमे वर्षे ||6||
जीर्णोद्धारं कृत्वा पुनरपि शिवमन्दिरं स निर्मितवान् |
चद्वालुकेश्वर इति ख्यातिं लोकेषु पावनीमाप ||7||
क्षुद्रो वालुककण इव विश्व कृत्सन यदग्रतो भाति |
तं वालुकेश्वरमहं वन्दे अनन्तं कृपनिधिं शान्तम ||8||
Translation - During the period of the Shilahar rule in the 12th Century C.E., a Shiva temple was constructed by a leader of Gomantaka Dwijas (Dwijas from modern Goa), named LakshmaN (Prabhu), hence the temple was known as LakshmaNeshwar. Eventually the temple was attributed to the son of Sumitra i.e., LakshmaN.
With the passage of time and arrival of the cruel firangis (Portuguese) in Mumba Island (Mumbai), it was destroyed and reduced to a pile of stones.
Eventually, Mumbai passed on to the East India Company (referred as the English Trade Group). A pious, good natured person named Shri. Rama Kamath, from Saraswat kula and Gaargya Gotra; a great businessman became the Treasurer and Commander of the Army of the East India Company. He consecrated the temple of Samaliyalal (Krishna in Gujarati) and Venkatesh in Fort.
Three years after the Vikram Varsha named Nanda, he performed the Jeernoddhaar (re-consecration) of this Shiva Temple (in 1715 C.E.), which has attained pious fame today as the Walukeshwar.
In front of whom the whole World appears as a speck of sand, my humble prostration to Walukeshwar (The Lord made of sand), who is the ocean of kindness and peace.
Worship
The temple is generally busy every month only during the full moon, and at
It is currently the site of an annual
Gallery
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View of the ghat and ruined temple of Walkeshwar, 1850.
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Ancient statues around Banganga Tank, Walkeshwar
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Walukeshwara History Inscription - 1
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Walukeshwara History Inscription - 2
References
- ^ Walkeshwar village Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine British Library.
- ^ Shamrao Moroji Nayak (1877). A History of the Pattana Prabhus. Oxford University. Family printing press , Fanaswadi.
- ^ Mule, S.M. "Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu - Wikipedia | S.Muley,M.A.,PhD (1972). Studies in the Historical and cultural geography and ethnography of the Deccan. Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute, University of Poona. pp. 301, 303, 304. " pg 301: (section)Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu...From our epigraphical evidences, many Prabhus seem to have held high posts in the Silahara kingdom, and controlled the civil and military administration. The Chaul inscription of AD.1088 mentions Veliga Prabhu. Ananta Prabhu and Lakshamana Prabhu appear in a number of records. The former was a MahaPradhana, Kosadhikari, MahasandhiVigrahika and the latter was a MahaPradhana and Mahadandanayaka. Table on Pg 303,304: minister: pradhana, head of treasury: kosadhikari, foreign department charge: Mahasandhivigrahika, head of military: MahaDandanayaka". en.m.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ Mulay, Sumati (1954). "Studies in the historical and cultural geography and ethnography of the Deccan". University.
- ^ "Malabar Hill - Image, 1850". Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
- Mallya, K.G. The Merchant Of Bombay, Mumbai:Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (1997). ISBN 8172760949—An historical novel of the life of Rama Kamati.