PHOTOGRAPHY

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

Preparing for the fishing season

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

Boat art

Lunch at the sea

Pulling the net

Mending old nets with a tool known as tasri

Preying on fish

Malad fish market

Worli koliwada

Nets, boat, and the sea, Worli koliwada

Basketmaker

Break, Marol dry fish market

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

Cats, Madh koliwada

Migrant fish workers, Sassoon Docks

After the customers are gone, Sassoon Docks

Squids, Sassoon Docks

Beaked sea snakes are a common by-catch

Gauri, Madh koliwada

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.