BANGANGA on an ordinary day by Akanksha Deolekar

BAN GA N GA o n an or di n ar y day

A K ANKSHA D E OL E KAR

banganga \ akanksha deolekar

about Banganga The Banganga tank has been a sacred place of pilgrimage for centuries. Located in Walkeshwar, Malabar Hills, Mumbai, it is lined with numerous temples and dharamshalas around the perimeter. With time, the growth has been organic and it can be clearly seen in the built forms. It is like a quaint clearing hidden amidst the narrow lanes and dense urban fabric of the area. The precinct enjoys a lifestyle different from the rest of the city. As soon as one enters the place, one forgets about the fast paced life and the necessity of being productive all the time. This place defies all these ideas. banganga \ akanksha deolekar

Human Life Around The area surrounding the tank is filled with old temples, houses, chawls, shops and a lot of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;not so formalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; settlements. It is hard to differentiate between these due to blurred identities that have evolved with time. A variety of activities can be seen happening at all times of the day both inside and outside the doors. (in case a door exists)

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Afternoon Naps In the vicinity of the tank to escape the scorching heat, and with a full stomach on fairly good days. A sheet of cloth and exhaustion - all thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needed to succumb to slumber before getting back to the arid and drudging remainder of the day. Do worldly concerns like safety and security bother them? Or is that a privilege they cannot afford?

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At The Tank The relation between the tank and the human is more varied and multifarious than one can imagine. The same place, the same water, the same steps - providing for so many different people in so many different ways.

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Solitude The tank is a tranquil niche in the otherwise bustling city of Bombay. Sometimes, simply looking at the antics and flurry of life around Banganga can be therapy in itself.

banganga \ akanksha deolekar

Passing By The sides of the tank are informally demarcated by the people - habit, I suppose. The shaded side of steps for sitting and the sunny shorter side for walking across the tank. The tank and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inanimate surroundings are a stony backdrop, the consistency of which is broken by tiny specks of colour moving from one end to the other.

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A Children’s Place Banganga is like a public courtyard - more like an aangan in front of your house. Even the people have made it a part of their house. (or conversely, their houses are a part of it) And kids from these numerous houses surrounding the aangan come to play here. Bursts of childish energy and excited voicesthese kids run along the tank barefoot. We don’t wear footwear in our house, do we? For some who don’t stay nearby, it is a picnic spot. And for some, just a place to while away time.

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The children slowly overpower the tank vicinity as the clock approaches 6pm. As they fling themselves into the water, uniforms strewn on the steps, it is clear that their minds were thinking of this moment as they waited for the last bell to ring in school.

banganga \ akanksha deolekar

Fauna The tank sustains more than just human life. Birds and animals - finding food, water, a place to sleep, friends, entertainment and everything in between.

banganga \ akanksha deolekar

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS CLICKED BY THE AUTHOR

banganga \ akanksha deolekar