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Published: October 3rd 2006
In area generally called Kalbadevi, is a very old Hindu Temple, a Jain Temple (different blog), a Mosque, a bazaar, and the nearby Crawford Market. The Hindu Temple is Mumba Devi Mandir, or Mumba Devi Temple. It is dedicated to the goddess Mumba. Mumba is where the name Mumbai came from and is a local incarnation of the Devi (Mother Goddess) conception of being.
It's a small temple and was very crowded because of the festival of Navratri during which people pay respect to the Goddess. I was able to snap a photo of devotees passing their hands over the flames inside the temple courtyard. But they were not keen on taking photos. Nearby was the Mosque called Jama Masjid. I happened to walk by during call to prayers in the afternoon. A moment away is a bazaar and the Crawford market, which focuses on fresh fruit and veggies but also has other household items, including pigeons, if that is a household item.
On Malabar Hill in Mumbai is the Walkeshwar Temple which is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It is a tiny temple but is associated with the holy Banganga Tank. Legend has it that Hindu god,
Ram paused at that spot in pursuit of the demon, Ravana who had kidnapped his wife, Sita. He is said to have constructed the original lingam of sand, after having tired of waiting for his brother to bring an idol. When Ram was thirsty, as there was no fresh water readily available, he shot an arrow and brought Ganga over here. Hence Bana (arrow in Sanskrit) Ganga. The water that feeds the tank stems from an underground spring at that spot. So when I would ask a taxi driver to bring me to Banganga Tank, he would mimic shooting an arrow into the ground. So I guess they all knew the story.
A young temple priest gave me a tour of the temple and the Banganga Tank. Around the tank were small altars for Shiva, Durga, and others. Inside the temple, devotees were offering water to the Shiva Lingam.
Near the Walkeshwar Temple and Banganga tank are the Hanging Gardens. I was able to catch a few things in bloom. The entire garden sits on top of Mumbai's main water reservoir. From the gardens across the street was a great view of Chowpatty Beach and the Mumbai skyline.
Mumba Devi Fire
Just inside the gate of the Mumba Devi Hindu temple, is a structure containing lamps with flames. In Hindu rites, Arti is the waving of lighted lamps before an image of a god or a person to be honoured. In performing the rite, the worshiper circles the lamp three times in a clockwise direction while chanting a prayer or singing a hymn. Arti is one of the most frequently observed parts of both temple and private worship.
There are active Zoaroastrian temples in Mumbai, but they are closed to people who were not born as Zoaroastrian. They are Parsi people from Iran.
Downtown and around Mumbai, there are numerous roadside or sidewalk stands for eating and drinking. In the business districts, workers commonly grab lunch standing around a stand, eating food cooked in front of them. Similarly, one could get juice, such as fresh sugar cane juice from a sugar cane juce squeezer stand. I'm sure they have a much better name for it.
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raghunandan gupta
non-member comment
Mumba Devi mata ki jay
mere left pair ke nas me bahut dard hai.mai chal nahi pata hoo,sara din doctor ne bed par lete rahne ke liye kaha hai, he mata Mumba Devi mare pair ka dard jaldi thik kar dijiye.pair ka dard achhe se thik hone ke bad mai aapke darsan karne aauga or rs.51 dala chadhauga.jay mata di.