Lord Shiva’s temple of sand, the Walkeshwar mandir is one of the most famous ancient Hindu sites in Mumbai. Situated on Malabar Hill, it is a minor pilgrimage site that usually sees huge crowds on pooranmashi (full moon) and amavasya (no moon) days of the month.

 

Lord Shiva is known as the Greatest God (Mahadeva), or sometimes the God of Gods (Devadeva). He is associated with five critical functions of life as creator, preserver, destroyer, one who hides sins and one who gives blessings. He is usually represented by the Shiva linga, depicted as a clay mound with three horizontal stripes on it.

 

 

The Shiva Temple in Walkeshwar derives its name from the Sanskrit words Valuka Iswar, which literally means ‘Sand Lord’. According to Ramayana (the great Hindu epic), it is believed that Lord Ram stopped by the current site of the temple on his way to rescue his wife Sita from the clutches of Ravan, the evil king of Lanka. While Lord Ram was at the site, he wanted to worship Lord Shiva and hence asked his brother Lakshman to bring a Shiva linga for him. Lakshman, however, took longer than usual to bring the lingam and Lord Ram grew restless. He built a Shiva linga out of the sand that was available in abundance and offered his prayers to the deity.

 

 

There is a fresh water tank called ‘Banganga’ right next to the temple. Despite being so close to the sea, the water here is sweet and fresh. This is because the water that feeds the tank comes from an underground spring. Even the tank has a legend of its own. It is believed that while waiting for his brother to arrive, Lord Ram grew thirsty. He drew his fabled bow and shot his arrow at a spot from which a fresh water spring emerged – Banganga, or Ganges of the Arrow.

 

The temple as well as the Banganga tank were originally built in 1127 AD by Lakshman Prabhu, who was a minister in the court of the Silhara dynasty Kings. The Silhara dynasty ruled over Thane and the islands of Mumbai between 810 and 1240 AD. During the 16th and the 17th centuries, the temple also had devotees in the form of Malabar pirates who used to frequent the islands. The temple was, however, destroyed by the Portuguese during their reign over Mumbai in the 16th century. A Mumbai businessman and philanthropist, Rama Kamath, rebuilt the temple in 1715. Much of the main temple has since been reconstructed and several other smaller temples have sprung up around the adjoining tank. It may be noted that Rama Kamath was a Saraswat Brahmin, and now a branch of the Shri Kashi Math is located on the western bank of the Banganga tank.

 

 

While the temple does not find a place on the list of the most important temples of Lord Shiva in the country, its own legend and history make it special. And what links it to the weave of our culture is the Hindustani classical musical festival that is organised on the bank of the Banganga tank at the start of every year.

 

 

Walkeshwar Temple, Banganga Road, Malabar Hill, Walkeshwar, Mumbai – 400 026