Located along the western coastline of Mumbai’s northern suburbs, Madh Island is bound by the Arabian Sea to the west and Malad Creek to the east, which separates it from Versova. Commuters travelling between Madh and Versova use ferry services operating across Malad Creek. The first ferry starts at 5 am. Ferries run every 15 minutes, and the journey takes about five minutes. The ride fare is ₹3.00.
Koli women are actively involved in various economic activities related to fishing and maritime livelihoods and play a central role in maintaining the household in the absence of male family members who are away at sea. In addition to taking care of their household affairs, they run small businesses that add to the family income.
The Versova-Madh ferry service is used by a wide range of commuters, some even plying two-wheelers stacked on the flat decks. Daily commuters include students going to school, daily wage labourers, working professionals, and fisherwomen with their daily catch headed for the markets.
In the local Marathi dialect, tandula means rice, and bhakri means roti, resulting in the tandalachi bhakri, or rice roti. While the basic preparation method remains the same, there are variations of bhakri made with different flours. These include jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), and nachni (finger millet), which are common in different regions of India.
This interesting fragment depicts a senior ascetic, likely a Shaiva ascetic, positioned in the extreme right corner, delivering a sermon to a lady. To his left, there appears to be his disciple showing reverence to his guru. Following them, there is a series of garland bearers and musicians facing the venerable guru. Despite some damage to the fragment, it appears that the guru is not a simple human but a divine being with four arms. He seems to be holding a snake and trident in his upper two hands. It cannot be ascertained whether the figure is Shiva delivering a sermon to a lady, possibly Parvati, or if he is Lakulisha.
The pillars in the mandapa of the Harshnath Temple lack homogeneity and may have been a later replacement. One of them is enriched with beautiful images of apsaras and female deities like Parvati, as seen in this image, within the niches of the pillar. Under these pillar niches are panels depicting musicians, dancers, celestial beings, deities such as Ganesha and ascetics. These Shaiva ascetics align with the overall Shaiva theme of the temple. The image also depicts an ascetic worshipping the shivalinga. A four-armed Parvati is depicted holding a kamaṇdalu and mala in her lower hands and likely flowers in the upper two hands. Flanking her on both sides are attendant dwarfs. Below this scene, an ascetic with long matted hairs is shown in deep adoration to Shiva.
Despite the predominantly Shaiva atmosphere of the Harshnath Temple Complex, there were once multiple Vaishnava temples on the hill. This particular image of Shesashayi Vishnu, or Vishnu reclining on the serpent. It was obtained from Harsha Hill and is now housed in the Government Museum, Sikar. Lord Shesa, likely served as the main cultic image inside a now lost Vaishnava shrine. Atop the image are representations of the nine planets, while Vishnu is attended to by Lakshmi at his feet. Three ayudhapurusa, personification of his weapons, are placed behind him. The reclining Vishnu adheres to standard iconography, wearing a kirita-mukuta, a malavanamala and four arms. In his upper left hand, he holds a chakra, while his upper right hand wields a mace, which also supports his head. His lower right-hand holds a flower, while the left lower hand is broken.
Image courtesy: The Government Museum, Sikar
The ceiling beam in the sanctum depicts an array of warriors marching towards the right on its side, while the lower face of the beam is richly carved with vegetation foliage.
A four-armed Vishnu is depicted seated in the lalitasana posture. He carries a mace and a chakra in his upper right and left hands, respectively, while the lower right and left hands hold a mala and possibly a citron, respectively.