This nine-inch-tall Ganesha idol is worshipped at the Ganapati Temple. It is made of white marble quarried from Rajasthan and is enclosed in a glass casing. The shrine is made from wood and has a dome similar to the dome on top of the temple.
The neighborhood of Walkeshwar is one of the few places in Mumbai that has a marked elevation due to its location on Malabar Hill. There are several theories about how the hill got its name after the Malabar coastline in modern Kerala. One theory is the hill being used as a refuge by pirates from the Malabar coast who preyed upon European shipping. Another theory is the hill got named after pilgrims from the Malabar coast who used to visit the original Walkeshwar Temple and the Shri Gundi sacred rock, both of which were later destroyed, thus ending the long-established practice.
The Jagannath Mahadev Temple has anthropomorphic wood-carved brackets supporting the roof. These are in the form of female musicians playing a variety of musical instruments. They are heavily decked in jewelry and wear a blouse and skirt-like garment. The brackets are painted in bright colors and add an element of playfulness to the overall decor of the temple.
Hindu pilgrims perform parikrama along a path going around Banganga Tank, starting from the south end. The important temples are located on the parikrama path. The ghats have spatial division according to specific rituals; south and west are used for rituals of the dead, and north and east are used for auspicious rites.
The Heritage Project draws attention to how women are integral to the growth and development of the Banganga neighborhood, and their role in sustaining ecology. Shilo Shiv Suleman depicts this interdependence with the use of a mix of text, portraits, and elements of Hindu mythology to create awareness and promote dialogue for social change.
Diverse architectural elements are incorporated within a compact forecourt at the Vyankatesh Balaji Temple. The entrance gate doubles as a naubatkhana (drum house); a flight of steps leads to a platform where musicians played the nagara and shehnai. Next to the gateway are shrines dedicated to Garuda and Ganesha, separated by a deepastambha.
The lingam worshipped in the garbagriha of Walkeshwar Temple is said to be swayambhu (self-manifested). The lingam has a brass kavach (armor) and is protected within the coil of a brass Naga (serpent). It is believed that this lingam was brought from Varanasi by Lakshman, hence Walkeshwar is also referred to as Lakshmaneswar.
Siddheshwar Mahadev temple forms part of what was once known as Jairamgir Bawa’s Math, where samadhis of ascetics of the orthodox Giri Smarta sect were erected. The samadhis of the founder (Jairamgir Bawa) and two other ascetics were also built here. The temple overlooks the Banganga Tank and is noted for its arched gateway, grayish-blue basalt walls, pyramidical shikhara, and compact sabha mandap.
The sabha mandap inside Rameshwar Temple has retained the wooden ceiling and timber pillars. In 1934, a local merchant, Lallubhai Tribhuvandas, gifted the marble floor in memory of his wife. Rameshwar Temple was renovated in 2005 by the Indian Heritage Society Mumbai, with funds donated by Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation.
Towering above the Banganga Tank is the weathered shikara of Rameshwar Temple, built in the North Indian Nagara style with amalaka (a stone disc in temple architecture) and kalash (an architectural element shaped like a metal pot with a large base and a narrow mouth) at the summit. Small figures of lions appear on the four sides of the shikara and there is a carving of Lord Shiva as Nataraja on its east face, facing the tank.