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.
In the 1850s, Chinese immigrants began to arrive in Mumbai. These Chinese immigrants originated in the southern Chinese port city of Canton and were residents of the See Yup Koon neighbourhood. The majority of them were sailors who worked on ships that travelled between China and India. Chinatown was founded in Mazagon around the beginning of the 20th century. A remnant of the Chinatown is Kwan Kung Temple, a Chinese temple, located at 12 Nawab Tank Road.
Tracks on P. D’Mello Road are remnants of the Bombay Port Trust Railway Lines that were laid in 1915 to transport goods from all the piers and docks to the warehouses, godowns (white building in the background), and storage facilities located along the P. D’Mello Road. This route was also used by the tramway, which first started operation in April 1896 and lasted till March 31, 1964, when all tram services were discontinued in Mumbai.
The entrance to the Mazagaon Masjid, established in 1890. Islam came to Mumbai through traders, saints, and preachers who arrived from various parts of the Indian subcontinent, and even from foreign lands. Trade, business, and commerce were dominated by the Bohras, the Khojas, and the Kutchi Memons. As a result of this mixed heritage, the Muslim population in Mazagon is diverse, with various sects having built mosques, maqbaras, and dargahs in the area.