Updated On: 03 June, 2010 07:06 AM IST | | C Gangadharan Menon
If you have four days to spare, here's a plan to explore the Konkan coast with a little help from the resident Kolis. C Gangadharan Menon surrendered to the ocean and returned with having learnt a smattering of Portuguese Creole, and a single Silver Fish in his net
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If you have four days to spare, here's a plan to explore the Konkan coast with a little help from the resident Kolis.u00a0C Gangadharan Menon surrendered to the ocean and returned with having learnt a smattering of Portuguese Creole, and a single Silver Fish in his net
When I think of Kolis, I remember that distant morning when Rajaram Mahulkar, a fisherman from Mahul in eastern Mumbai, who first took me along for an encounter with the flamingos at Mumbai mud flats.
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At the time, Mahul was a sleepy village that had just woken up to the fact that flamingos had landed on its shores for the very first time.
Rajaram was so enamoured by the pink spectacle that he turned local guardian of these winged visitors, like any Koli would have, considering the deep bond the fisherfolk community shares with nature.
I set out from Mumbai to meet Rajaram's community who live along the Konkan coast.
My first halt was at Versoli, a little-known village that stands between popular weekend getaways Kashid and Alibaug, about 100 kilometres from Mumbai.
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Versoli has one of the most secluded beaches India can offer since it can only be accessed through meandering lanes of Koliwada.
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Here, every fishing boat, painted in delicious colours, is a work of art and bears the signature of its owner.
My next stop, Korlai was home to a community of about a thousand fisherman who speak a unique dialect Portuguese Creole.
u00a0
It's a strange 260-year-old colonial legacy that has survived thanks to their insulation from the world outside.
Despite the spoken word that sets them apart, Korlai's kolis share cultural and religious traditions with their brothers living along the coast.
u00a0
Their faith in the Goddess of the Sea, or Jal Maayee as they lovingly call her, gives them the hope of returning safe to shore each time they head out into the unpredictable ocean.
A 7.5-hour drive from Korlai takes you to Kelus, near Vengurla on the southern tip of the Konkan coast.
This fishing village is wedged between the Kelus River and the ocean (the village and the beach have been named after the river).
The monsoon is perhaps the best time to experience Kelus if you want to witness a boxing bout between the rising river and the furious ocean welling up.
u00a0
The locals hear spend much of their time making giant dragnets.
Watching their dexterous hands weave a net out of nothing is a must-see sight, reminiscent of Samuel Johnson who said,"a fishing net is "many holes that have been stitched together!"
When I think of Kolis, I remember that distant morning when Rajaram Mahulkar, a fisherman from Mahul in eastern Mumbai, who first took me along for an encounter with the flamingos at Mumbai mud flats.
u00a0
At the time, Mahul was a sleepy village that had just woken up to the fact that flamingos had landed on its shores for the very first time.
Rajaram was so enamoured by the pink spectacle that he turned local guardian of these winged visitors, like any Koli would have, considering the deep bond the fisherfolk community shares with nature.
I set out from Mumbai to meet Rajaram's community who live along the Konkan coast.
My first halt was at Versoli, a little-known village that stands between popular weekend getaways Kashid and Alibaug, about 100 kilometres from Mumbai.
u00a0
Versoli has one of the most secluded beaches India can offer since it can only be accessed through meandering lanes of Koliwada.
u00a0
Here, every fishing boat, painted in delicious colours, is a work of art and bears the signature of its owner.
My next stop, Korlai was home to a community of about a thousand fisherman who speak a unique dialect Portuguese Creole.
u00a0
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| Readying for the big catch, at Kelus |
It's a strange 260-year-old colonial legacy that has survived thanks to their insulation from the world outside.
Despite the spoken word that sets them apart, Korlai's kolis share cultural and religious traditions with their brothers living along the coast.
u00a0
Their faith in the Goddess of the Sea, or Jal Maayee as they lovingly call her, gives them the hope of returning safe to shore each time they head out into the unpredictable ocean.
A 7.5-hour drive from Korlai takes you to Kelus, near Vengurla on the southern tip of the Konkan coast.
This fishing village is wedged between the Kelus River and the ocean (the village and the beach have been named after the river).
The monsoon is perhaps the best time to experience Kelus if you want to witness a boxing bout between the rising river and the furious ocean welling up.
u00a0
The locals hear spend much of their time making giant dragnets.
Watching their dexterous hands weave a net out of nothing is a must-see sight, reminiscent of Samuel Johnson who said,"a fishing net is "many holes that have been stitched together!"
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