On the day before the wedding, a special ceremony is conducted to prepare a mixture of wheat and urad dal (split black gram lentil). This mixture is ritually offered at the shrine of the grihadevata (household deity). Subsequently, the rice is distributed among the wedding guests who attend the ceremony to bless the bride and groom.
The women in the household grind a mixture of wheat and urad dal (split black gram lentil) to make flour. This flour is then kneaded into dough, shaped into doughnut-like rings, and deep-fried to make medu vada, a traditional breakfast dish served at Koli weddings.
Sakharpuda is followed by kelvan, another pre-wedding ritual where both families invite the bride and groom for a meal at their respective homes. This occasion also includes offering puja to their kuladevata (ancestral tutelary deity) to seek blessings.
Lagnaach bedior (matchmaking) is entrusted to a family priest who matches the janampatrikas (horoscopes) of the bride and groom. On the advice of the priest, the families fix the muhurta (auspicious time and date) for the wedding.
Halad chadavane, also known as the haldi (turmeric) ceremony, is held at the homes of both the bride and the groom. The bride and the groom wear white attire that becomes dyed yellow during the ceremony. Typically, this event takes place either on the morning of the wedding day or the day before.
The procession makes its way through the lanes of Versova Koliwada, accompanied by revelry and dancing on the streets. Though organized by the Kolis, people from all communities join the festivities.
Janmashtami celebrations at Versova are centred around the Ram Mandir. The main deity of the temple is Lord Ram, along with other deities such as Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman.
The Warkari singer is playing a tanpura (pictured on the right) and khartal (pictured on the left). In Maharashtra, the Warkaris are a sampradaya (sect) within the Bhakti spiritual tradition who worship Vitthal (also known as Vithoba), the presiding deity of Pandharpur, regarded as a form of Lord Vishnu.
During the Dahi Handi event outside the Ram Mandir, the handi (pot) is not broken by forming a human pyramid; instead, it is broken by bamboo spears. As a safety measure, the pot is placed in a netted bag to prevent injuries from falling shards.