Mumbai: The historic Banganga Lake in South Mumbai’s Walkeshwar area will be illuminated with 10,000 lights on Sunday, November 26, to celebrate Tripurai Purnima. Over 3,000 devotees will participate in the Tripura Purnima and Dev-Diwali celebrations.
This religious program organized by Gaur Saraswat Brahmin Temple Trust will continue till today after sunset. The priests coming from Varamashi will perform puja-aarti with chanting mantras from the scriptures. On this occasion, lamps will be lit in the pan along with the sound of conch shell.
According to the legend, Lord Rama established it by making Shivalinga from sand. A Shiva Linga made of Valu (Baluka in Sanskrit) was installed as Valukeshwar. Since then this area came to be known as Walkeshwar. Valukeshwar Mahadev Temple is situated here. There is a pond next to the temple. According to folklore, this lake got its name Banganga when Lakshman shot an arrow on the earth to drink water and a fountain of water erupted. This lake was systematically constructed in 1111 AD by Lakshman Prabhu, a Gaur Saraswat Brahmin minister in the court of the Silahar dynasty.