Mazagaon Koliwada, one of Mumbai’s oldest Koli settlements, existed as a fishing village since long before Europeans arrived. While the original fishing village no longer exists, descendants of the Koli fishermen still reside in the same neighborhood.
The 140-year-old Club of St. Anthony is a Goan club associated with Deussua village in South Goa district. These Goan clubs are called kudds (or coors), which provide affordable accommodation to migrants from Goa staying and working in Mumbai. Located close to Dockyard station on P. D’Mello Road, the Club of St. Anthony is among the few remaining kudds in Mumbai, most having closed due to a lack of patronage and occupancy.
The Koli community were mainly involved in fishing, though some Kolis were also cultivators. Typically, the Koli women take care of drying and selling fish, while the Koli men are engaged in fishing and distributing the day’s catch. Fish markets are dominated by Koli women, who handle the business operations.
Adjoining the docks, Mazagaon Koliwada is among the oldest Koli settlements in Mumbai, though nothing much of the historical village has survived in modern times. It is home to diverse communities, including Parsis, Muslims, East Indian Catholics, Jews, and others, who have lived here for generations. Mazagaon is dotted with architectural landmarks and heritage buildings, which reflect its cosmopolitan social fabric.
Shenaaz's tiny room at Bob Bungalow is where she feeds the local cats. Many cats live in Mazagon, where they patrol the fish markets and serve as useful pest deterrents. The residents look after the cats even if they are not domesticated. They become close friends with the locals and are regarded as family.
Koli fishermen are sorting the day’s catch at Bhaucha Dhakka jetty. Due to extensive land reclamations, Kolis had to shift their fishing activities further south of the Mazagon dockyards. For their use, the Bhaucha Dhakka jetty was constructed in 1979. The jetty handles ferry services and maritime operations related to the commercial fishing industry.
The residential units at Bob Bungalow have a single room, with the washroom in one corner. The washroom offers privacy only through drawn curtains. The half-raised wall of the washroom is used to store water pots. The attic is used as an additional storage space. Residential units at Bob Bungalow have two entrances, one facing the corridor inside the building and the other facing the outside, from which an external stairway is used as a short cut.
View of Mazagon Dock from Gaondevi Temple on Mazagon Hill. Established in 1774 by the Wadia family of shipbuilders, the Mazagon Docks are primarily used for the construction of warships and submarines for the Indian Navy. This includes maintenance, upgrades, and modernization of ships and submarines to extend their operational lives. In addition, the docks are also used for the repair and refitting of old naval vessels.
Among the first people to live in the Bombay Islands were the Kolis. Aside from Kolis, the area was populated by groups of people who worked in occupations that supported the regional economy. These included the Agris and Kunbis (paddy growers), the Bhandaris (toddy tappers), and the Mitha Agris (saltpan workers). However, as times changed, only the Kolis continued to engage in their traditional profession and have maintained a distinct cultural identity.