{"id":9413,"date":"2021-06-09T23:19:59","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T23:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/?p=9413"},"modified":"2021-07-01T14:05:38","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T14:05:38","slug":"the-kolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/the-kolis\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kolis"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Fishing

Photo by Eva Elijas from Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

A short distance \u0926\u0942\u0930\u0940 from the house I grew up in, is a little fishing village \u0917\u093e\u0901\u0935 called Danda Koliwada. The village is so close that every afternoon \u0926\u094b\u092a\u0939\u0930 the smell of drying fish \u092e\u091b\u0932\u0940 comes wafting into\u00a0 the open windows \u0916\u0941\u0932\u0940 \u0916\u093f\u0921\u093c\u0915\u093f\u092f\u093e\u0901 of my home. The Kolis, as these fisherfolk \u092e\u091b\u0941\u0906\u0930\u094b\u0902 are called dry Bombay Duck, a fish really, on nylon lines along the sea wall \u0938\u092e\u0941\u0926\u094d\u0930 \u0915\u0940 \u0926\u0940\u0935\u093e\u0930. Bombay Duck is a delicacy\u00a0 \u0935\u093f\u0928\u092e\u094d\u0930\u0924\u093e in Mumbai, eaten best fried in a crispy batter.<\/p>\n

Origins of the Kolis<\/h2>\n

The Kolis are some of the oldest inhabitants \u0928\u093f\u0935\u093e\u0938\u093f\u092f\u094b\u0902 of Mumbai<\/a>. They originally come from the coastlines \u0924\u091f\u0940\u092f\u0930\u0947\u0916\u093e\u0913\u0902\u00a0 of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Kolis were originally ethnic \u0938\u0902\u091c\u093e\u0924\u093f \u0935\u093f\u0937\u092f\u0915 Marathis that settled along the west coast \u0938\u0902\u091c\u093e\u0924\u093f \u0935\u093f\u0937\u092f\u0915 of Maharashtra. With the advent of the British and then the Portuguese, many converted \u092a\u0930\u093f\u0935\u0930\u094d\u0924\u093f\u0924 to Christianity. The rest remained Hindu but divided into many sects.<\/p>\n

Koliwada<\/h2>\n

These fisherfolk live in Koliwadas which translates roughly, ‘house that opens to the sea’. There are many Koliwadas in Mumbai. Danda Koliwada, Sion Koliwada, Worli and Colaba Koliwada.<\/p>\n

Kolis basically developed \u0935\u093f\u0915\u0938\u093f\u0924 the coastlines with their industry<\/a>. They fish in usually wooden or fiberglass trawlers. They consider the sea, their father, and the boat their mother. Each family spends about 20-25 lakhs on a boat, which is a huge investment \u0928\u093f\u0935\u0947\u0936.<\/p>\n

Festivals and Food<\/h2>\n

A large festival called Narali Punav signals the onset of the season that is favorable to fishing. The Kolis offer prayers \u092a\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0930\u094d\u0925\u0928\u093e at their temples and boats are treated as sacred \u0927\u093e\u0930\u094d\u092e\u093f\u0915 with the breaking of coconuts.<\/p>\n

Currently during this season, one of the larger Koli communities \u0927\u093e\u0930\u094d\u092e\u093f\u0915 in Versova holds a large seafood festival\u00a0 \u0924\u094d\u092f\u094c\u0939\u093e\u0930 for the general public to showcase \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0926\u0930\u094d\u0936\u0928 the catch of the day. The seafood they catch, fish, prawns \u091d\u0940\u0902\u0917\u0947, mussels \u0936\u0902\u092c\u0941\u0915, clams, crabs \u0915\u0947\u0915\u0921\u093c\u093e, lobster, etc usually go to service the various restaurants in the cities and also their tables. Being mostly Hindu they do eat seafood even though meat is generally not allowed.<\/p>\n

They love to haggle<\/h2>\n

Kolis are a vibrant community. They love to haggle \u091d\u0902\u091d\u091f \u0915\u0930\u0928\u093e with their customers but at the same time are very generous \u0909\u0926\u093e\u0930 to their loyal ones. I remember a Koli woman coming to our door with a basket of fish and other seafood on ice. She would haggle with my father on the price \u0915\u0940\u092e\u0924 of fish. Much drama and arguing \u092c\u0939\u0938 would ensue but in the end, she would wrap the fish in a newspaper and hand it over.<\/p>\n

Traditionally \u092a\u093e\u0930\u0902\u092a\u0930\u093f\u0915 \u0930\u0942\u092a \u0938\u0947 the men would go fishing and the women would sell the fish. They carried the fish on ice in large baskets \u091f\u094b\u0915\u0930\u0940 on the top of their heads. These women traveled by train, usually in the luggage \u0938\u093e\u092e\u093e\u0928 compartment to towns nearby. Rarely they would board the ladies compartment on the local train.<\/p>\n

Urban stories have it that it is wise not to get into an argument \u092c\u0939\u0938 over space on the train with a Koli, or they would ‘accidentally’ pour fishwater on you. Other than that, they are a loving community that adds a delightful \u0930\u092e\u0923\u0940\u092f flavor to the city of Mumbai.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

A short distance \u0926\u0942\u0930\u0940 from the house I grew up in, is a little fishing village \u0917\u093e\u0901\u0935 called Danda Koliwada. The village is so close that every afternoon \u0926\u094b\u092a\u0939\u0930 the smell of drying fish \u092e\u091b\u0932\u0940 comes wafting into\u00a0 the open windows \u0916\u0941\u0932\u0940 \u0916\u093f\u0921\u093c\u0915\u093f\u092f\u093e\u0901 of my home. The Kolis, as these fisherfolk \u092e\u091b\u0941\u0906\u0930\u094b\u0902 are called dry…<\/p>\n

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