Melting in Bombay

I went to Banganga yesterday.

It is a fresh water "tank" sitting smack in the middle of the city. Legend has it that the spring which feeds the reservoir originates from the Ganges. The story is that RAMA the exiled hero from the epic Ramayana, stopped fatigued and thirsty 5,000 years ago. He asked his brother Laxman to bring him some water. When Laxman shot an arrow into the ground water bubbled up from the Ganges (over a thousand miles away).

Surrounded by a complex of 400 year old temples the site has always held a religious significance.

The place was deserted when I visited and the old Indian saying that only mad dogs and Englishmen venture out into the mid day sun comes to mind.

Though an important cultural site and the scene of religious festivals, I didn't get the feeling that many foreigners go there. Its quite hard to find and the narrow lanes leading down to it are probably not well suited to tourist buses.

It's also surrounded by squalor and poverty and this may not be in line with the comfort level of most westerners.

I encountered nothing but smiles and a welcoming vibe.

Thats it for now.

I fly overnight to Dubai, but will try and get a look around this afternoon and will post if anything interesting crops up.