.Having been employed on ships and sailing vessels from 1983 to 2006 as a "Marine Engineer" and having stayed in Prabhadevi sea facing locality for 41 years realized that to date was totally ignorant of the fishing industry of Worli village. Worli Village was one of the original fishing villages of Bombay before it became the Mega-city Bombay with a later change of name into Mumbai.
As a prolific "Letter-Writer" and a writer commentator much before the Internet era was one of the "Citizen journalists" responsible for creating awareness of preserving the historic "Worli Fort".The Fort was renovated and is definitely one of the best preserved Colonial Forts within Mumbai City. Recently the World's premier English rock group "Cold Play" put Worli village on the World entertainment map by filming a part of their song "Hymn for the weekend" in Worli village.My house-keeper Sabina.Dias has been residing in Worli village since birth and her life has a story that could surprise the faint-hearted. Requested Sabina to arrange a fishing boat excursion and she obliged .
On Thursday(24-11-2016) woke up early akin to the common fisher-folk of Mumbai eager to board the fishing vessel at Worli village in Mumbai.House-keeper Sabina.Dias had finally managed to use her personal friendship among the local Koli fisher-folk of Worli village and secure me a boat ride on a local fishing vessel.At 0600 hrs we both walked the short distance from my house in Old Prabhadevi road to Janata Colony in Worli village .In the dark of dawn using a torch flashlight she guided me past a narrow gully(lane) where just a single person could walk through the pathway to the residence of fisherman Chetan..Shirgaonkar situated in "Sri Sai Krupa Mandal" locality of Janata Colony. Tragically as Bombay's population increased so also has the slum proliferation in the city and Worli village. Worli village with its small communal colonies was once a dominant East Indian Catholic fishing village along with other communities that gradually deteriorated into pockets of slums.The East Indian Catholics are the original local Bombay natives who were converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese colonizers and hence their mother tongue is Marathi language with many also having Marathi Hindu surnames.This is the brief history of the local Worli Koliwada Koli residents whose prime ancestral occupation was fishing.
Observed the "Open-Air defecation" along the sea beach littered with plastic waste and definitely the filthiest sea dump in Mumbai. Having visited 54 Country's to date and having just returned in September from a "Shark Cage diving" tour in Cape Town felt ashamed as a Indian and Mumbaikar on seeing one of the World's filthiest beaches a stone's throw away from one of Mumbai's plushest residential localities. Worli is a replica of South Africa's "Soweto" in Johannesburg having its plush wealthy ,the middle-class and slums within its jurisdiction.On Saturday(19-11-2016) the "Global Citizen Festival-2016" was held at the "BKC(Bandra Kurla Complex)" in Mumbai with a record audience of 80,000 fans and a plethora of stars and celebrities.
The profits generated from this mega concert in which "Cold Play" were the star attraction has been pledged for up-liftment of sanitation and toilet facilities around the World and sincerely hope that toilets are built in close proximity to the fishing village beach of Worli in Mumbai."Cold Play" are you reading my blog !Finally young fisherman Shri Chetan.Shirgaonkar along with his young fishing assistant Pensu guided me towards the boat about 75 meters from his house.Had to walk carefully through a mine field of plastic waste and human excreta with numerous men squatting along the beach for their daily toilet routines. Definitely not a sight for a woman tourist or a casual "Citizen reporter".
I was put onto a small fibre glass dingy while Chetan and Pensu boarded a small motorized fibre glass boat akin to a ship's life boat.My small dinghy was attached by a rope to the motorized boat and after starting the main boat engines we headed towards sea and i was towed on a beautiful cloudy day towards Mumbai's premier landmark, "Rajiv Gandhi Setu Bridge(Worli-Bandra Sea link bridge)".A photographic essay of my observance as a passive participant in the daily working life of the average common Koli fishermen of Worli village in Mumbai.
Shri Chetan.Shirgaonkar ,the young fisherman who owns this mechanized small fibre glass trawler costing approximately Rs one lakh.The engine of the "Nayan Sagar" is run on Diesel fuel and a average regular "Fishing net" casting and overhauling routine of approximately 3 hours sea-time hugging the coast consumes about 2 litres of diesel fuel.The Engine is only used for travelling to the site of the fishing net and switched off with paddles being used to control the small mechanized boat.
Our Boat approaching "PRABHADEVI BEACH" with one of the most luxurious Bungalows being the landmark of this beach. "BEACH HOUSE", the iconic bungalow and one of the oldest residential bungalows in Prabhadevi is visible from the sea.One of India's wealthiest Industrialist family lives within walking distance of one of the World's filthiest beaches in Worli Village.This is the irony and greatness of Mumbai city where Mega-billionaires live in close proximity to Mega filth . Prabhadevi beach was once as dirty as "Worli fishing village beach" with the entire beach littered with plastic waste and human excreta.In recent years there has been a revolutionary transformation in cleanliness of Prabhadevi and Dadar beaches and hope the same transformation happens on Worli village fishing beach.My residence "Vaibhav Apartments" is just walking distance from the plush "Beach House" bungalow of the Wadia family and hence i know the history of this locality. 41 years is a very long time in a locality.
Who is more photogenic ? A bizarre chance "Selfie" with Vaibhav Apartments building cat "Champa" on my way home from the fishing boat with fresh caught fish."Champa" could smell the fish and was pestering me for the same.This stray cat owned by our building prowls the beautiful gardened society complex as the only cat in the entire vicinity.
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| Early morning in Worli village with Moon still in the sky. |
As a prolific "Letter-Writer" and a writer commentator much before the Internet era was one of the "Citizen journalists" responsible for creating awareness of preserving the historic "Worli Fort".The Fort was renovated and is definitely one of the best preserved Colonial Forts within Mumbai City. Recently the World's premier English rock group "Cold Play" put Worli village on the World entertainment map by filming a part of their song "Hymn for the weekend" in Worli village.My house-keeper Sabina.Dias has been residing in Worli village since birth and her life has a story that could surprise the faint-hearted. Requested Sabina to arrange a fishing boat excursion and she obliged .
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| "Worli Sea-link" bridge seen from Worli Village. |
On Thursday(24-11-2016) woke up early akin to the common fisher-folk of Mumbai eager to board the fishing vessel at Worli village in Mumbai.House-keeper Sabina.Dias had finally managed to use her personal friendship among the local Koli fisher-folk of Worli village and secure me a boat ride on a local fishing vessel.At 0600 hrs we both walked the short distance from my house in Old Prabhadevi road to Janata Colony in Worli village .In the dark of dawn using a torch flashlight she guided me past a narrow gully(lane) where just a single person could walk through the pathway to the residence of fisherman Chetan..Shirgaonkar situated in "Sri Sai Krupa Mandal" locality of Janata Colony. Tragically as Bombay's population increased so also has the slum proliferation in the city and Worli village. Worli village with its small communal colonies was once a dominant East Indian Catholic fishing village along with other communities that gradually deteriorated into pockets of slums.The East Indian Catholics are the original local Bombay natives who were converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese colonizers and hence their mother tongue is Marathi language with many also having Marathi Hindu surnames.This is the brief history of the local Worli Koliwada Koli residents whose prime ancestral occupation was fishing.
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| Sri Sai Krupa Mandal" in Janata Colony of Worli Village. |
Observed the "Open-Air defecation" along the sea beach littered with plastic waste and definitely the filthiest sea dump in Mumbai. Having visited 54 Country's to date and having just returned in September from a "Shark Cage diving" tour in Cape Town felt ashamed as a Indian and Mumbaikar on seeing one of the World's filthiest beaches a stone's throw away from one of Mumbai's plushest residential localities. Worli is a replica of South Africa's "Soweto" in Johannesburg having its plush wealthy ,the middle-class and slums within its jurisdiction.On Saturday(19-11-2016) the "Global Citizen Festival-2016" was held at the "BKC(Bandra Kurla Complex)" in Mumbai with a record audience of 80,000 fans and a plethora of stars and celebrities.
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| "WORLI VILLAGE BEACH" :- Filthiest in the World ? |
The profits generated from this mega concert in which "Cold Play" were the star attraction has been pledged for up-liftment of sanitation and toilet facilities around the World and sincerely hope that toilets are built in close proximity to the fishing village beach of Worli in Mumbai."Cold Play" are you reading my blog !Finally young fisherman Shri Chetan.Shirgaonkar along with his young fishing assistant Pensu guided me towards the boat about 75 meters from his house.Had to walk carefully through a mine field of plastic waste and human excreta with numerous men squatting along the beach for their daily toilet routines. Definitely not a sight for a woman tourist or a casual "Citizen reporter".
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| My "Towing Dingy" arriving at the Fisherman's beach. |
I was put onto a small fibre glass dingy while Chetan and Pensu boarded a small motorized fibre glass boat akin to a ship's life boat.My small dinghy was attached by a rope to the motorized boat and after starting the main boat engines we headed towards sea and i was towed on a beautiful cloudy day towards Mumbai's premier landmark, "Rajiv Gandhi Setu Bridge(Worli-Bandra Sea link bridge)".A photographic essay of my observance as a passive participant in the daily working life of the average common Koli fishermen of Worli village in Mumbai.
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| Leaving the "Worli fishing village beach" early in the morning for the day's fishing expedition. A Selfie" on the Dingy being towed by the motorized boat. |
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| Young Fishermen Shri Chetan.Shirgaonkar and Pensu on the motorized boat "NAYAN SAGAR" checking my towing line. |
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| Fiberglass "Nayan Sagar" boats engine started and all set to venture to our first "Fishing Net Site " of the Day. |
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| The Beautiful plush skyscrapers of Mumbai as viewed from the canoe in which i was sitting and observing the beautiful Arabian sea and these two young fisherman on their normal day's work.. |
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| Heading towards "Rajiv Gandhi Setu Bridge(Bandra-Worli Sea Link)" |
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| Looking into the distant sea away from the Mumbai Coastline. |
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| Flotilla of fishing boats anchored in the Bay of Worli village in front of the Sea-Link bridge. |
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| "Rajiv Gandhi Setu Bridge(Bandra Worli Sea-Link)" as seen from below the bridge towards Bandra end.A "Rock breakwater" has been built that encloses Worli fishing village Bay from the open Arabian sea to the South. Protects the bridge and hence fishing boats of Worli Village have to do a detour to venture along the WORLI COAST.During the construction of this bridge there was some opposition from the fishing community of Worli village. |
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| Our boat having crossed the sea-link bridge from Worli village side is now travelling parallel towards the sea-link towards Worli Sea-face to renter the the inner coastline for checking the nets set overnight. |
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| Our boat re-entering the sea-link bridge from the open Arabian sea into Worli Sea-Face side. The "WORLI FORT" dominates the skyline on land from this angle under the bridge. |
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| Under the Sea-Link bridge and a view of the bridge highway from the sea. Committing "SUICIDES" by jumping from the "Sea-Link" bridge was not uncommon and hence a strict vigil along the entire bridge length is maintained by the law enforcement department. The most famous Mumbaikar to commit suicide by jumping from this bridge on 1st August 2012 was the pioneer tourism entrepreneur Mr Lalit,Seth, the proprietor of the once most popular tour company in Mumbai known as "Raj Travels" ."Raj Travels" were pioneers of mass "Package Tourism" that made Foreign travel affordable to "Middle-Class Indians" which was once the privilege of the wealthy or those Indians employed in the overseas transport business like Merchant Navy ships and the airlines. "Package Tours" is now a common feature among all travel agencies. . |
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| Historic Worli Fort as viewed from the sea. |
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| Observing Thursday Sunrise over Mumbai from the Western seafront of the city.The Mumbai Western seafront skyline with its towering skyscrapers is majestic. |
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| Our first "FISH NET STOP" in the sea adjacent to Worli Fort coastline |
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| FISHING NET LOCATION N0 1 :- On hauling the "Nylon Fish Net" laid yesterday evening a few fish are entangled in the net. Numerous fish nets are strewn across the Worli coast by various fishermen and seems to be over-fished.Hence the fish catch all over the World is decreasing every year. |
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| Chetan.Shirgaonkar and his assistant Pensu hauling the net and checking for fish or crabs. The Crab catch was quite good although they were small sized crabs |
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| Fish catch is also "Seasonal" and this particular variety of fish was the common catch of the day. |
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| "Selfie" from my "Canoe Boat" towed by the motorized fishing boat.The silent spectator in the day of the life of the average working day of the common fisher folk of Worli village and the Mumbai coast. |
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| Hauling the net and the fish entangled in the net. |
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| Finally after overhauling the entire nylon net onto the boat and removing the entangled fish and small crabs then re-inserting the net back into the sea at the same location. |
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| Sailing towards our next "Fishing Net " location outside the sea-link bridge. |
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| FISH NET LOCATION N0 2 :- Overhauling the net onto the boat at the location outside the Sea-Link bridge opposite the Worli Fort. |
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| A view of the Arabian Sea from the West Coast of Mumbai. |
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| A Naval helicopter in the sky.The coastal waters of Mumbai are regularly patrolled by Coast Guard vessels especially after the "26/11/2008 Terrorist" attack on the city. |
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| Overhauling the net and entangled fish onto the noat in "Location N0 2". |
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| "Fish Catch" in "Location N0 2". |
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| Heading back to Worli Village after overhauling "Net N0 2" onto the Boat.They will return back in the evening to insert a net into the sea as well as overhaul "Net-1" for a fresh catch. A very labour intensive job with nature also playing a role at times especially during the Monsoon season . |
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| View of the "Rajiv Gandhi Setu Bridge" with the landmark Taj Mahal Hotel and skyscrapers of Bandra visible at the extreme end.Very scenic when seen from the sea. |
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| "Gateway to Worli Fishing Village" :- The Rajiv Gandhi Setu Bridge(Bandra-Worli Sea-Link)". |
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| On reaching the coastal sheltered bay of "Worli Village" transferred myself from the canoe onto the main motorized fishing boat.The Canoe was parked in the sea in close proximity to the Worli village beach.. |
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| Fisherman Chetan's assistant the young boy Pensu sorting out the day's catch..A minimum of 2 fishermen in each of these small mechanized boats is the normal complement. |
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| Akin to a "SeaTaxi" finally dropped at Prabhadevi beach facing the aristocratic "Beach House Bungalow by fisherman Shri Chetan.Shirgaonkar and his young assistant Pensu.There are plans of having a "FERRY BUS SERVICE" along various points on Mumbai's coast and it could definitely decrease the road traffic congestion of the city. |
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| Shri Chetan.Shirgaonkar and Pensu finally leaving the shore of Prabhadevi Beach to their home of "Worli Village beach" just about 500 meters adjacent to Prabhadevi beach. |
Who is more photogenic ? A bizarre chance "Selfie" with Vaibhav Apartments building cat "Champa" on my way home from the fishing boat with fresh caught fish."Champa" could smell the fish and was pestering me for the same.This stray cat owned by our building prowls the beautiful gardened society complex as the only cat in the entire vicinity.
P.S Note:- In May 2022 building cat " Champa" was tragically partially run over by a car in the building and expired.I cherish this candid " SELFIE" photograph of just a ordinary common stray cat.All " Car Owners" please check the undercarriage of your vehicle before starting your car or any 4 wheeler vehicle as it's common for stray cat's and fog's to rest under car's or trucks.
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| CLEVELAND BUNDER(WHARF) :-Worli Koliwada is located just beside the Worli Fort, at the northernmost tip of the original island city of Bombay. The Cleveland Jetty seen in this photo at maximum high tide on a rare "Full Blue Moon(Wednesday 30/8/2023) " day of Narali Purnima celebration is situated on the southernmost end of the Koliwada, just beside a major drainage and sewage outfall water gate that dumps the liquid waste coming from Lower Parel and Worli areas of Mumbai.Standing on this sewage waste gate bridge and have photographed this unique fishing wharf.of Mumbai. Bharat Gothoskar, city-based historian has researched the fact that the jetty has been named after Henry Cleveland, a government solicitor of the 19th century, who owned several properties in Bombay, now Mumbai and the origin of this Jetty dates to the 19th century, soon after the Port Trust of India came into existence. |
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| View of the "SEWAGE GATE" from Cleveland Bunder(Wharf) at High Tide.The gate is closed having a road bridge over it for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. During Low Tide the Sewage gate is opened to release waste sewage from Lower Parel and Worli localities of Mumbai into Cleveland wharf waterway. Hence the jetty waterway is heavily polluted. |
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| Deity being taken in a grand procession procession to the temple on "Narali Purnima( Thursday 11/8/2022) " day. |
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| "Narali Purnima" celebrations on Thursday(11/8/2022) |
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| "Narali Purnima" celebrations on Thursday(11/8/2022) |
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| "Narali Purnima" celebrations on Thursday(11/8/2022) |
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| Shri Chintamani. Shivdikar, the folk singer of Worli Koliwada village dressed in "Koli Attire" for the occasion of "Narali Purnima". |
After decades of living in Old Prabhadevi locality of Mumbai for the first time in my life in August 2022 got to see the grand celebration of Narali Purnima festival in Worli Koliwada village. On Thursday(11/8/2022) cycled from my house to Worli villlage in the evening and the sight that greeted me was indescribable . A glimpse of the contest of breaking of coconuts on the occasion of the Hindu Festival of Narali Purnima in Worli village .Came across Worli Village folk singer Mr Chintamani.Shivdikar who was decked in gold ornaments.All the ladies participating in the dancing processions were also fascinatingly dressed in.local Koli folk attire with immense gold jewelry.Visit unique Worli Koliwada Village situated in the heart of concrete jungle Mumbai at least once in your lifetime.Something different.The next year in 2023 on Wednesday(30/8/2023) attended the annual celebration of " NARALI PURNIMA" at Worli Koliwada village .
This festival is celebrated in grand fashion and dedication by fisher community Hindus in the western coastal regions of India.
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| A full fledged orchestra band for " Narali Purnima ". |
Narali Purnima is the festival which is dedicated to Sea God Varun and according to the Hindu Calendar, it is observed on Purnima Tithi on the Full Moon day in the month of Shravana that's why it is known as Shravana Narali Purnima.Narali means coconut and Purnima means full moon day. Coconut is an important part of the puja as coconut is offered to Varun. Fisherfolk of Maharashtra offer prayers to the God and seek blessings of the Lord as it is believed that by doing so Lord Varun makes the sea and wind according to the fisherman and protects them from the unwanted incidents during sailing and fishing in the sea. Although not in the fishing business but having sailed the oceans on various ships as a "Marine Engineer" for 23 years i understand the unpredictability of nature and the high seas. This day also marks the end of Monsoon season and the beginning of the fishing season and hence people dance and sing on this auspicious day to celebrate this amazing festival.This band procession began from the " Hanuman Mandir" of Worli Koliwada village winding in a procession through the narrow road of this unique original Koli( Fisherfolk) village in the heart of Mumbai city.The band members are wearing the typical red caps worn by the men folk of Koli fishing community while the women are dancing in their traditional Koli saree's .Don't miss viewing this annual traditional Koli festival .
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| "Narali Purnima " celebrations on Wednesday(30/8/2023) |
