An Open Well in Prabhadevi, Mumbai – not far from the Prabhadevi temple.Had gone to the Prabhadevi temple with the intent of seeing the open
well in the temple. However I could not
get access to it. On looking around I observed that the roads had
numerous water tankers unlike the other localities in Mumbai that I had
been to. Unlike Bangalore, these tankers read that they carry fresh
water from wells. With some asking around I come upon this really
beautiful open well in a quaint old home – which seems outworldly in the
otherwise modern and high rise city. Many thanks to Manoj for showing
me around(His father owns the house and the well). There are some old
men lying around in a charpoy beside the well. By Manoj’s estimates the
well is more than 100 years old. They clean it up every once in a
while. All year round fresh water flows in to the well. You can very
clearly see the inflows. There are some fishes that breed in the well.
Manoj and family are vegetarian. Some neighbours have come and released
the fishes in the well and some fishes have always been there. There are
other wells in the area he tells me – but people have either closed
them or put concrete slabs on top. Manoj thinks a well needs to breathe
and hence does not want to put a slab on top. He is not worried that
kids may fall in – their entire family has grown up around the well.
Manoj also directs me to the open well in Shivaji park which I am unable
to get to for lack of time + losing my way. And that for another
Bombay trip. Just this small detour to Prabhadevi makes the trip to
Bombay seem even more delightful
