Banganga Tank is my favourite place in Mumbai. It is tucked away at the end of a narrowing alley in the Malabar Hill area and it provides a quiet sanctuary from the frenzied pace of the city.

The tank was built in 1127 AD and is fed by a perennial spring. It is surrounded on four sides by winding passageways that lead to homes, temples, shrines and market stalls.

Sit on the steps that lead down to the waters, and watch daily life unfold – ritual bathers making offerings, funeral rites read by a Brahmin priest to family members, clothes and bodies are washed, herons wade watchfully to glimpse a fish, and children play.