PHOTOGRAPHY

CURRENT RESEARCH: Environmental displacement and precarious livelihoods in Madh Island, Mumbai

Preparing for the fishing season

Fishing boats are adorned with garlands

Waterproofing the boat using tar

Painting the boat

Fishing boats in Versova

Versova koliwada

Koli fishermen employ Muslim villagers for stitching new nets after buying the raw material from one of the Koli associations

Net making

Mending old nets with a tool known as tasri

Fresh bombil and other fish straight from the boat

Koli woman hangs bombil for drying

Gokulashtami and Dahi Handi celebrations

Fancy dress rally organized by the residents of one of the galis (alleyways) of Madh Island in celebration of Krishna’s birth.

Dancing on the day of Dahi Handi (lit. “clay pot of yogurt”), a day after Gokulashtami. The name Dahi Handi derives from a legend according to which baby Krishna was very fond of milk products and used to come up with ingenious plots, including human pyramids, in an effort to steal some butter, milk, or yogurt. That’s why people hid their milk products out of baby Krishna’s reach.