The three-day Koli Mahotsav showcasing the rich culture of Mumbai’s original inhabitants will kick-start at Mahim beach on Friday. Bollywood actor Salman Khan will inaugurate the festival.
Backed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the festival will see participation from almost all koliwadas (fishing villages) in and around Mumbai. Besides koli dance performances, a wide range of fish and seafood items at the stalls are the major attraction.
Nitin Sardesai, MNS legislator who is in-charge of the festival, said, “More than 45 stalls offering a variety of seafood items have been put up. Over 80,000 people are expected to attend the festival.”
Explaining the concept of the festival, Sardesai said, “Kolis are the original Mumbaikars. Not only we want people from other communities to know about their culture, but also support the younger generation of the kolis to become entrepreneurs.”
The koli community is an ethnic group found throughout the coastal regions of India. They are also one of the original inhabitants of Greater Mumbai.
Sandip Kambli, 34, a fisherman from Worli koliwada, said, “I participate in the festival every year but not to make profit. I want to make my community popular. I, along with my wife and nine of my neighbours, have taken a stall. We will cook our traditional recipes of pomphret, bombil, rawas, daboli fry, kolambi pattis and jhinga and sell them.” Last year, Sandip earned a profit of Rs75,000.
Mumbai’s koliwadas are facing multiple threats. On one side they are losing their land due to growth of reality sector, on the other their traditional practice of sun-drying fish and shrimp let others think that they are unhygienic and smelly.
Jayesh Akre, 33, from Mahim koliwada, says, “My grandparents were fisher folk. Now, my mother delivers fish to old customers. I participate in the festival so as to meet my community members.”
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