Sign up for a walk through Worli Koliwada that will explore the unique traditions of the Koli community’s celebration of the festival of colour
(From left) Chintamani Shiwadikar at a performance in Worli in 2022; a Holika effigy adorned with flowers. Pics Courtesy/Anita Yewale
With spring in full bloom and the weather getting warmer, one can already feel the excitement as Holi draws near. While there will be multiple colour-soaked, musical celebrations popping up all across the city, the Mumbai chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is conducting a Holi special walk in Worli Koliwada to celebrate the festival of colours with the indigenous community of the city.
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“With these walks, the idea is to introduce people to the lesser-known histories and stories of the city so that participants are aware about the people who shaped Mumbai and their contribution to the making of the city. The Koli community originally planted the seed of Bombay as we know today, yet, very few are aware of how the community celebrates Holi, which is why it is important to bring Koli traditions to the fore,” explains Katyayani Agarwal, the convener of INTACH.
The food offerings include sweets and legumes; (right) a traditional rangoli
Scheduled to start in the evening, the walk will begin at the Golfa Devi temple and take people through the bylanes of the Worli Koliwada. “While most of the country celebrates the festival on the day of purnima (full moon night), the Koli community celebrates it a day before. There are two days of celebrations; Kombad holi and Patlanchi Holi, as it is called in the gaothans. They call it Kombad Holi because as a lore goes, a rooster wakes up everyone in the morning after a full night-long celebration,” Anita Yewale, the host of the walk and co-convener of INTACH Mumbai Chapter explains.
The session, which will begin at the temple premises, will discuss the community’s culture and traditions followed by an aarti at 7 pm and a walk through the neighbourhood. “I will be sharing myths and legends attached to Golfa Devi, who is a revered deity of the community. We will also try to bring attention to the issue of how Koliwadas were declared as slums and most importantly, how gaothans are losing space to development,” she adds.
A woman arranges a flower rangoli to decorate the neighbourhood
The walk will be punctuated with cultural celebrations and a look into the community’s Holi rituals which as Yewale tells us, is a rich process of celebrating Holika (a female demon in Hindu mythology) dahan. “The Kolis usually make a humanoid figure of Holika and deck her up in jewellery and sarees. She is then perched on top of a stick and beautiful rangolis are drawn around her with ingredients like coconut, betel leaves, uncooked rice, turmeric and others offered as part of the pooja. For the cultural celebrations, we will be joined by Koli singer Chintamani Shiwadikar who will serenade us with holi folk songs,” Yewale reveals.
With courtyards adorned in flowers, colourful rangolis all around and traditional songs and dance, the festive energy is infectious, Yewale admits. “As a popular saying in the community goes, “Holi re Holi, puranachi poli,” we will also be serving people ghee-laden puranpolis for a sweet touch to the walk,” she concludes.
Anita Yewale
ON March 12; 6 pm to 9.30 pm
MEETING POINT Indian Coast Guard Headquarters, Worli Koliwada.
CALL 8087773299 (for registration, limited spots)
COST Rs 200 (members of INTACH), R400 (for non-members)
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