The festival is an opportunity for Koli women to explore entrepreneurship opportunities in the culinary arts by starting small-scale food businesses, catering services, or home-based commercial kitchens. Empowered Koli women play a vital role in shaping the future of their families, communities, and society at large.
Pictured here is a Koli woman preparing a dish known as a sweet banana. Making this involves peeling a ripe banana, delicately slicing it to stuff with coconut filling and then gently roasting it in butter.
The catch arrives in the morning and is immediately preserved in ice boxes to maintain flavour and freshness. This fish includes Koli specialties like Bombay duck (bombil), pomfret (paplet), mackerel (bangda), sardines (tarli, pedvey), king fish (surmai), golden anchovy (mandeli), prawns (kolambi), and shrimp (jhinga).
In the morning, preparations are made for lunch. Post-lunch, after a short break, preparation for dinner starts at 3 pm. Throughout the day, women run their stalls by operating in shifts.
The Versova Koli Seafood Festival is an opportunity to connect with members of the Koli community, including fishermen, fisherwomen, artisans, and cultural performers, to learn about their way of life, occupations, and cultural practices.