All in a day’s walk

All in a day's walk

Charting through Versova's shoreline, Soma Das discovered mangroves and methi plantations, met Vakti-drying fisherwomen, stumbled upon a 100 year-old mosque and temple before getting her fill of saline-soaked air at the Jetty to Madh Island

Tomorrow is Earth Day. Green thumbs across the globe will up the ante, light candles, take pledges and promise to keep the environment clean. As always, Mumbai will join in the cause, which brings us to the fact that the island city is no ecological haven. Green belts face constant threats from land sharks and other factors. However, keeping with the green flavour of the season, we decided to revisit one such lung along Versova's shoreline in Andheri, a locality synonymous with Bollywood and television industry hopefuls, endless traffic problems and uncontrollable air pollution. In a city filled with surprises, Versova threw up several green aces as we set out on our walk, one muggy April afternoon, from the Juhu-Versovau00a0 Link Road.

The Ram Mandir at Versova is an ancient shrine that is visited by local
Hindus and Muslims and is popular among the residents for fulfilling
wishes. Pics/ Santosh Nagwekaru00a0u00a0

Stop 1: Mangrove treasure
Our walk kicked off at Gurukul, which is Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia's musical institution, behind HDFC Bank. Interestingly, stepping inside the lane grants you a wormhole entry into another place and time. The mangrove stretch (fencing work is still on) begins from that point and extends for another 1.5 km till Vigyan Shila near Seven Bungalows. Apart from adding to the refreshing expanse of greenery, these mangroves purify the air and appear surreal while floating on water. The mangrove stretch is the result of an initiative by the residents in the area who set up Save Andheri Versova Environment (SAVE) a decade ago. This forum was initially set up as a measure to prevent dumping of debris near their houses. What followed was a protracted battle with politicians and builders over encroachment of land worth crores. Ultimately, after an eight-year struggle, the government ordered mandatory fencing to protect the mangroves.

"The mangroves are a fascinating specimen of plants and grow in water. They are the lungs of Mumbai, check soil erosion and can act as a barrier in case of tsunamis. During high tide, salt water enters the mangroves while creeks bring sweet water to it. Mangroves require a combination of both to survive. They host an ecosystem within themselves as fishes and other marine life thrive under the waters. It also purifies the water before it makes its way to the sea," said Rajesh Vora, Secretary, SAVE Forum. He added that mangroves are hardy plants that don't need upkeep. Plus, they attract birds who self-pollinate flowers and aid the diversity of plants in the area.

Bahadur Yadav washes the methi crop that will be packaged and sold
at Dadar's vegetable market

Stop 2: Methi plantations
From there we made our way past the Nana Nani Park only to spot a tiny lane that leads one to the beach. Up ahead, we spotted a stretch of methi plantations on the beach. Holes are dug in the ground and methi is cultivated by pouring buckets of fresh water over the plants. The plants grow fast, within three days and are then sold off at Dadar's vegetable market.

Stop 3: Hazrat Sayyed Shukrullah Shah Baba Dargah
Not much is known about this ancient dargah but residents of the area believe it could be nearly 100 years old. It is managed by the Versova Sunni Kokni Jamaat. Located beside a kabristan (burial ground for Muslims), it was a smaller structure, which developed into a big mosque a few decades back. The architecture is impressive, with its imposing brick-red entrance and the statuesque minarets painted in white and green. Inside, there is a small watershed for birds; we spotted a few pigeons and ducks taking respite from the blistering sun. The compound of the mosque is dotted with large palm trees that add to Versova's seaside landscape. "A fair is held here ufffd from April 22 to 24, in memory of the Hazrat. Hundreds of devotees flock the area and a festive look takes over," informs Mohammad Ehsaan, the dargah's muezzin who calls the faithful to prayer.

Fisherwomen sort through Vakti fish that will be dried and sold in bulk.
Observe how their children rest in makeshift cradles while work is
in progress

Stop 4: Versova's fishing village
Diagonally opposite the mosque is a spot where fisherwomen dry fish in the sun. Soni Bai (28), a fisherwoman from the area has been doing this for as long as she can recollect. Every day, she arrives at the spot at 9 am and works on till 4 pm. With a flick of her hand she slices open Vakti fishes brought from Mazgaon Dockyard in the morning and removes the entrails. Later, these are marinated with salt and left to dry in the sun over wooden racks. After three days, the fish is spread on the earth and turned over from side to side to ensure they are fully dry. When they assume a brownish hue, they are ready to be packed and are dispatched to markets in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as for local sale. This dried, pungent variety of fish is in great demand during the monsoon when fishermen don't venture into the sea.

Here different families own these fishing rows that dot the coast. Soni Bai employs eight women from Andhra Pradesh to help her with this laborious task. Though they primarily dry Vakti fishes, the Bombil fish is in demand during Diwali. "We work on over 20,000 fishes every day; we never take a day off," she smiles. Soni is the sole breadwinner for her family (three daughters, two sons) after her husband passed away some time back.
u00a0
Stop 5: Hingla Devi Temple and Ram Mandir
As one approaches the village, you will spot small colourful homes dotted with Tulsi chaurahas. Each village has a goddess or Gaondevi who guards the place from plagues and other calamities. Villagers in Versova swear by Hingla Devi to protect them from all evils. The goddess is enshrined in a 100 year-old temple on the main road. But since construction work is underway, she has been moved to an alternate temple opposite the main shrine.
At any hour of the day, you will spot kashta saree-clad women seeking the blessings of this goddess. A gondhal (fair) is held in June-July where devotees offer sacrifices to the goddess to appease her. On such occasions, the goddess is known to enter and possess women (var) who are then able to achieve miraculous feats like eating fire and predicting the future for devotees. Nearby is the Ram Mandir, which is as old as the Hingla Devi temple. It draws huge crowds during Hanuman Jayanti. If you're lucky, you might meet a few enthusiastic villagers who will regale you with local stories.

The Hazrat Sayyed Shukrullah Shah Baba Dargah boasts of an impressive
gateway and stunning minarets. It houses a water shed for animals
and birds and overlooks palm tree plantations

Stop 6: Versova Jetty
Every few minutes the Versova jetty gets filled with boats and men and women who need to cross over to Madh Island. The jetty has rowboats as well as motor boats and for less than Rs 5 you can hop on for a ride to the other side. Watch out for the slush that can ruin your clothes and shoes. In the vicinity, fishermen are busy at work anchoring their boats and creating partitions with heavy logs. If you're in search of a peaceful spot, check out the small path sandwiched between fishermen's houses, which will lead you to a secluded and relatively clean spot along the beach. The riot of colour and local flavour, with the boats decked with fishing nets, flags and anchors docked in the sand will serve up the perfect leisurely moment before heading back into the maddening city.

Blast from the past
Once a part of the Portuguese empire (till 1739), the region subsequently became part of the Maratha empire. The suburb overlooking the Arabian Sea gets its name from the Marathi word 'vesawe', which means rest. Once upon a time, the naval forces of Shivaji Maharaj would come here to repose between battles, hence the name. The original inhabitants are the Koli fisherfolk, who inhabit its fishing villages in large numbers.

Versova walk fact file
> Total time: 3 hours
> The walk is spread over a large area, so you would be advised to get a bicycle or a two-wheeler to negotiate the route. Parking costs Rs 5 at
the jetty.

Howu00a0tou00a0get there
Board any Andheri, Borivali or Virar bound train on the Western Railway. Alight at Andheri (West)railway station and hail an auto or board a bus (route: 249, 221, 251) from the depot nearby, to reach Versova.

Must carry
>> Drinking water
>> Cap and sunglasses
>> Sunscreen
>>Comfortable walking shoes
>> Map of the area