Mumbai: Of fish, folklore and a facelift at Worli

Worli Koliwada upgrade has artsy aesthetics that focus on authentic interpretation of community and culture

The Worli-Koliwada, on one end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL), is getting an artsy fillip, thanks to ‘The Heritage Project’(THP). The area is being developed through interventions in art, architecture and biodiversity, through the project under the RPG Foundation.

Recently, the village, which primarily houses Mumbai’s fishing community called Kolis, got a  mural called ‘Aai’. Parag Sonarghare, an artist, unveiled “Aai”, painted onto a gymkhana wall in the Koliwada, depicting a mother, a woman who is the binding force and pillar of the family. He said, “A visit to Worli Koliwada, experiencing all the community’s aspects first-hand, inspired me to create my mural. The colours of the painting are like rays, there is a sense of celebration.” Even before this mural, there was an artwork done by Aravani Art Project at Cleveland jetty in Worli-Koliwada, which is the first mural that the Foundation curated. Nibedita Mishra,  lead, Operations THP said, “The predecessor to Aai was by the Aravani Art Project. That is the artists’ group name and they were from the transgender community."

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Relatable

Radha Goenka, RPG Foundation director and THP founder said, “About six months ago, we started working with the BMC. We are about making the site relatable to people. People need to know about the space, the stories behind it. When they are made aware, they are more likely to respect and preserve it. Art is one way of doing that. We also plan to curate cultural tours focusing on the unique cuisine of the community and are collaborating with Locavore (a local food movement through storytelling, partnerships, events, etc.) and its founder Chef Thomas Zacharias. We are curating a walking tour in the area, where visitors will have an opportunity to experience the culture and the history. We have an online app called Amble, through which we plan to promote the key areas in Worli Koliwada.”

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There are other plans on the anvil which are to install more than 70 heritage-themed streetlights, and more than 60 informational and directional signages and refurbishment of the two maidans in the space, “We plan to level the grounds and create walking tracks. All the while this is happening though, we must keep them open so that people have access,” said Goenka. She added, “We plan to plant more than 200 trees across the area, which will help in improving ecological balance.”

A La Art: At Cleveland Jetty

Fort matters

The Worli Fort, said the Foundation representatives, “can work as an eye-catching background to various events and activities planned in the space.”

“We are working with the BMC to refurbish the area around the Worli Fort. Our work includes levelling the land around the fort, developing a proper jetty, and clearing the area around the Worli Fort with the help of the community. Very recently, we also conducted a cleanliness drive to engage our RPG volunteers and the community to clean the fort area. We are planning to host activities and events keeping the fort as the background in the future," they added.

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