Temples that echo to classical music tunes, a thriving fishing community and a British legacy cast in stone will greet the walking enthusiast through Worli's Koliwada
Temples that echo to classical music tunes, a thriving fishing community and a British legacy cast in stone will greet theu00a0walking enthusiast through Worli's Koliwada
Ask any feather-in-the-wind wanderer or pilgrim and they will vouch that the best journeys are made on foot. The opportunity to soak in the experience, pause and be a part of the surroundings is unique to a walking tour.
On a muggy Tuesday evening in May, we made our way past glass-fronted skyscrapers that characterise Worli's corporate identity, for a detour -- our encounter with Worli's historic and cultural identity. Shriti Tyagi, founder of Beyond Bombay tours was our guide through this walking trail. To kick-start our walk, aptly called the Wandering in Worli: A walk down Koliwada, we met Tyagi and her nine year-old niece Ryna Mahajan in front of naval base INS Trata. As we made our way towards the Worli Koliwada, Tyagi gave us a backgrounder -- "Worli lies in the edge of the city and has an undefined boundary to it. It's next to the ultra-modern Bandra-Worli Sea Link and high rises dot the landscape but nestled within this village is an ancient civilisation that tells you the story of this city." 
Shriti Tyagiu00a0of Beyond Bombay tours shares information about
Worli's historic legacy to Soma Das as part of the Wandering
In Worli: A walk down Koliwada trail. PIC/ Pradeep Dhivar
A Koli wedding
We made our way through the village and realised that a traditional Koli wedding was in progress. A few women were smearing turmeric on each other's faces as part of the Haldi ceremony (applying of turmeric a day before the wedding as a good omen). A pandal was being erected and Koli songs were heard from a loudspeaker.
"Among Kolis, instead of the bride paying dowry, the groom pays a bride price since women are economically productive members of the household. While the males go fishing, the women sell the catch in the market; they contribute equally to the finances," shares Tyagi. The Kolis are progressive towards widow remarriages and divorce. "In cases where a wife wants to divorce her husband to marry her lover, the future groom has to pay the first husband the bride price he had paid at the time of marriage to make up for his loss," she added.
Weddings take place at sunset; here, the bride and the groom's hands are tied in cloth and then rested one upon the other. Then, they take seven steps around a stone slab and solemnise the marriage in front of the Patil (village head) and the elders. A typical wedding lasts three days. 
The Hanuman temple at Worli was built in 1800 and is a hub for
youngsters who learn the tabla while the elder generation
converge to read scriptures
Stop 1: The Hanuman temple
It was 5 pm and the village was coming to life, post the afternoon siesta. We spotted a bright yellow Hanuman temple from which reverberated the sounds of the tabla. Inside, half a dozen kids were tapping away to the sounds of this Indian classical instrument while instructor Sadanand Zajam (57) supervised them. Zajam has been teaching children to play the tabla, harmonium and the Casio organ at the temple for 30 years. Students from far-off suburbs including Kalyan and Badlapur attend his sessions. Tyagi explained that the tutelary goddess of the Kolis is Golpha Devi but as the younger lot is not keen on fishing and a traditional lifestyle, they frequent the Hanuman and Mahadev temples. 
The Worli fort is frequented by the local Koli community. It faces
the high-rises of Worli, which once upon a time was a stretch
of mangroves
Stop 2: The Mahadev temple
Our next stop was the Mahadev Temple, which is frequented by Mahadev Kolis. Built in 1904, this temple with intricate designs on its pillars and elegant latticework is also known as the Sankat Mochana temple (remover of obstacles). A yoga session was underway where two dozen men and women were practicing Pranayam. "In 1930, the reservation policy included the Mahadev Koli community among the backward castes, which meant more benefit in education and employment. This led to a mass conversion of Son Kolis to Mahadev Kolis. By 1994, when the Mahadev Koli community was exempted from the reservation list, most of the Son Kolis had already assimilated within the Mahadev Koli community and chose to remain so," stated Tyagi. No wonder the Mahadev and Hanuman temples were well-looked after, buzzing with music sessions, scripture reading sessions and yoga despite not being the original deities for the Kolis. 
The Worli fort, which was constructed in 1675 by the British,
offers panoramic views of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link
Stop 3: The Golpha Devi temple
The previous two stops did not prepare us for the Golpha Devi Temple. The temple, which is the oldest temple in the locality, has not been fully re-developed. Under a half-built roof, womenu00a0 wove garlands as they went about their daily chatter. Golpha Devi is the village goddess who keeps a watchful eye over the community. In the past, village folk turned to the goddess for advice on daily matters including the time to set out for fishing, whether au00a0 good catch was in store and if fishermen would return safe. "They have a process called as "kaul" where a flower bud or a silver marble would be placed on both the ears of the goddess. Based on the first one to fall, they would determine the goddess' wish in matters of marriage and fishing," said Tyagi. With the younger generation looking at options outside the fishing village, the number of devotees has diminished. 
The Haldi ceremony in Koli weddings is considered auspicious;
weddings are held after sunset and last for three days
Stop 4: The fish market
We moved towards the centre of the village through maze-like lanes where we played peek-a-boo with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. As a birthday was being celebrated on the beach, we entered via several narrow lanes where houses were packed closely together (for safety reasons, originally). "Each Koli home is characterised by a verandah (Oti), a kitchen, a sitting area and a Devghar (worship room)," Tyagi told us. We passed the village chowk to reach the fish market that buzzes with activity in the mornings when fresh catch is bought, packed and sold. The cycle includes the male bringing in the catch and the female selling it in the markets, post 9 am.
"There is a Nakhwa or a fishermen's co-operative that handles most matters related to fishing including packaging and dispatching the fish. The co-operative also plays middleman between the government and the fishermen and helps subsidies reach from one to the other," said Tyagi. Originally, Nakhwa meant the owner of 10 boats but today it refers to the co-operative. Summer and winter is peak season;u00a0 fishing halts in monsoon, that's when fishermen repair their boats and survive on dried fish. "Post-monsoon, there is huge competition among fishermen to haul the best catch to make up for the lean period," explains Tyagi. "During Narli Purnima (August), fishermen dress up and lead a musical procession across the village to the sea. They decorate coconuts and the Patilu00a0 immerses them in the water praying to the sea gods for calm seas and favourable wind direction."
Stop 5: The Worli fort
Our last stop was the Worli fort. "It was built by the British in 1675 as a watchtower for enemy vessels. This area was dotted by mangroves but these were hacked in the 18th century," shares Tyagi. The fort has a well that was notorious for suicides. There's a Vyayamshala (traditional gym) too, don't be surprised to spot a wrestler doing Suryanamaskaras when you drop by. Atop this ruined fort, we watched the sun set over the Arabian Sea while savouring chai and pakodas.u00a0 Cars whizzed on the Sea Link, hordes of colourful boats were anchored below -- we were witness to two sides of time travel, in the Maximum City.
Call: 9867764409;
EmailL: beyondbombay@gmail.com;
Log on tou00a0www.beyondbombay.in;
Cost: Rs 600; Duration: 2 hours. The tours will run every Sunday
Till June 12, from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Origins of the Koliwada
The Kolis' existence date back to Shilahara king Pratap Dind's (in the 12th century) rule over Mahikawati (Mahim). He invited 66 kulas (families) to become part of his kingdom; Koli families were a part of these 66 kulas. This led to their staking claim as the city's original citizens.u00a0 There are no records but it is believed that the first people to settle in Worli were nine Patil brothers who were fishermen by profession. These nine brothers invited people from the Koli community to join them. That's how the Worli Koliwada (fishing village) originated nearly 500 years ago. Thereafter, predominantly three sects of Kolis settled in this village:
Son Kolis, Mahadev Kolis and Christian Kolis.
"The Son Kolis trace their lineage to Sage Mayat (the adi purusha or the first man created by God) whose daughter Achinta married sage Kashyap. They had a son named Mardana who left a path of virtue to lead a life of violence. Sage Mayat decreed that he was unfit to rule and asked him to live his life by fishing. Thus, the Son Koli community believe that they have royal blood and are upper in stature than other fishing communities," explained Tyagi. The Mahadev Kolis were migrant Kolis who believe they are descendants of sage Valmiki and worship Lord Shiva. Several Kolis families underwent conversions during the Portuguese rule in the 16th century and they make up the Christian Koli community at Worli.
Did you know?u00a0
>> According to legend, Mumbai gets its name from a story where the demon Mumbarka continuously troubled the Kolis. They appealed to Lord Brahma who sent an eight-armed goddess to slay the demon. The goddess came to be worshipped as Mumba Aai and her temple is the Mumba Devi temple.
>> When someone dies in a Koli family, they dress up the corpse in colourful attire, capture them in photographs and hang them on their walls.
Must carry
>> Comfortable walking shoes
>> Water, fruit juice, dry fruits and nuts
>>Camera and batteries
>> Cap
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