Baradevi, Parel

A couple of years ago, I happened to attend a lecture by Dr Kurush Dalal. In the course of the lecture, he mentioned the Baradevi in Parel.

What is referred to as Baradevi is a slab of rock,around 10 to 12 feet in height, on which are carved 7 images of Shiva and 5 images of his ganas. This can be traced to the Vakataka period he had said and can be dated to the 5th 6th century AD. This unfinished sculpture was found when the road there had been dug up in order to lay a road near the Haffkine Institute.
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The museum, realizing the significance of this discovery, wanted to place this sculpture under it's care. Arrangements were made for transportation but while it had  barely been lifted off the ground by a a crane, the belt snapped and the Baradevi slab fell back. this was interpreted by the locals as the deity's unwillingness to move to the new abode. they refused to let go of it. since then it has remained here in Parel. As this is an unfinished sculpture, it is not in worship and it remains secure in a structure, behind a grilled gate. The museum has taken a cast of this piece of art and have placed it in their premises.

This sculpture, the Baradevi has 7 images of Shiva carved on it. None of these are ornately embellished. However the hands..the fingers are beautifully carved. 3 images appear one above the other at the centre of the slab and the other four are slightly reclining images on either sides of these. The Shiva murti at the top of this slab has 10 arms and seems to wield a sword in one. the 3 (standing) central images have the distinctive crescent moon carved on the jata. 5 Ganas are visible in the lower half of the panel. The image of one gana is faceless. They are shown playing musical instruments like the flute and the harp.

Some scholars have accounted for 8 Shivas on this monolith..and that has been when they have included into their count, the entire stele which is shaped like a Shiv linga

There are 2 more temples in the vicinity of this Shiva monolith. on its right is an ancient Chandika temple. A little ahead, on it's left, and atop a flight of stairs is the Vagheshwari temple. The Vagheshwari devi as the name implies... rides a tiger. The origin of this temple can be traced back at least to 1857 says Mr Mhatre, whose family looks after the upkeep of the temple. There are records to prove it too, he says. He loves conversation and getting to know his visitors. He asked about us, our place of residence, our native villages.. and proudly said, Mumbai, this place is my native place.
Both the Chandika temple and the Vagheshwari mandir, remind me of the Gavdevi mandir of my childhood, or even of the temples in Goa. simple no frill structures .They have an old world charm , as if time has stood still here. This is a Maharashtrian neighbourhood with families who have been residing here for generations. I am taken back to my childhood, where the neighbours were mostly Maharastrians and i realise that I haven't heard the language being spoken with such fluency and ease in a long time. Nostalgic moments and i feel strangely secure. little memories seem to have been brought to life and i want to linger here a bit longer. I sit on the wooden bench there...comforted.

P.S.     Baradevi is a little ahead of the KEM hospital.   After the signal at KEM, one has to drive/walk a little ahead and on the left hand side, appears a flight of stairs, leading up a hill.  This is the Golanji hill.  As you are climbing, the dome and kalas of the Vagheswari temple are visible.  The approach to the Vagheshwari temple is via another staircase which leads you straight  to the small kerchief sized aangan of the temple.  

Once atop the Golanji hill, the Baradevi and the Chandika mandir are a 2 minute walk from the Vagheshwari mandir.