Hidden Mumbai: An exploration of little known paths of the Mumbai

Dozens of fishing boats agglomerate, a mini army of fishers sort their catch, Koli women flock onto the dock’s wharf, fish merchants hold stacks of notes, the rain pelts down, a pervasive smell of fish infuses the air. It is 5.30 am mid-June at the Sassoon Docks in Mumbai.

“Pati,Pati,” shouts a Koli woman, offering woven baskets to unload the fish from the boats. Draped in a green and yellow sari tucked in between her legs, she pushes on the side anyone who’s in her way. She’s loud and tries to catch people’s attention.

The fishermen have been away for 8 to 10 days as they have to go further and further to catch a good amount of fish, sometimes near the coast of Pakistan.

Their young faces are tired and wet, but they made it back safe.

Although the trade hasn’t started, some men rush to the edge of the shore to check out the shoal of fish. Two chat, drinking chai; others wash their faces with clear water. The effervescence of the place is overwhelming. It’s not even 6 am; Mumbai is just about stirring.

As a Frenchman freshly debarked in the megacity, I am interested in discovering hidden parts of Mumbai. When I asked some Mumbaikars about Sassoon Dock, everyone has heard of it, but no one knew about the market’s hustle and bustle.

“It’s a fish market in Colaba,” says my friend Zahra Rasool. “But I’ve never been there. Why would people go anyway?”

Having read in my travel guide a little about the Kolis, I thought the locals would be proud of the city’s subcultures. After all, Kolis, known as a fishing community, are the first inhabitants of Mumbai.

So I decided to drag her with me with the excuse that I needed a translator. Our visit there left both of us awestruck.

Once the fish is sorted — prawns in one basket, crabs and lobsters in another, and mackerels in a separate one — fishermen hoist them on the wharf. The trade can finally start.

Koli women bargain for baskets of fish when the auction starts. “One hundred fifty,” a vendor shouts energetically. The price rises as the women make offers. Cash is thrown, tongues abuse, the competition is fierce. Buyers run from one vendor to another, and when they acquire a basket, they carry it away on their heads.

“Come buy something instead of just watching,” a Koli woman shouts at me while I observe the negotiations.

More expensive catch, such as Indian salmon, eels or stingray, are sold on the side, more silently and between men. One puts his finger into the fish through the gills to make sure the fish is fresh.

Although part of the catch will be frozen and exported, the fish is sold for use in restaurants, homes and for sale in the city’s different markets.

I was fascinated to see what happens between the moment the fish is caught and the time we find it in our plates. All that happens next door, every morning in the chaos of the Sassoon Dock.