Mumbai Mart - Sassoon Docks

Sassoon Docks

The eponymous Sassoon Docks were built on reclaimed land by David Sassoon and the BB & CI Railways established their terminus in Colaba. These developments pushed the indigenous Kolis to the edges of the island, near the Sassoon Docks and to the west. About 90,000 square yards of land were reclaimed on the western shore of Colaba by the City Improvement Trust. The work was opposed by eminent citizens like Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, on the grounds that such a large area of land coming on the market would depress prices. The work was nevertheless carried out and completed in 1905. Land prices did not plummet.

Sassoon Docks

A seafront road along with a raised sea-side promenade (the Parade, named after T. W. Cuffe of the Trust) was completed the following year.

Sassoon Dock: Residents of Colaba are familiar with the fishy smell of Sassoon docks which assaults their senses daily. By early morning, most of the little fishing boats are already docked, their bright flags flapping in the breeze. The auction of the day\'s catch takes place early in the morning around 5:30 am. Bargaining is noisy and mandatory.

Afghan Church

Afghan Church: The army cantonment is half a kilometre south of Sassoon Dock. As you move in this direction along the Lower Colaba Road, you reach a basalt church with a lofty limestone spire.

This is the church of St. John, the Evangelist, consecrated in 1858, to "honour those who fell by sickness or by sword in the campaign of Sind and Afghanistan." In the earlier days, the Afghan Church, as it came to be called after the First Afghan War of 1838, used to garner a sizeable number of British officers for the Sunday morning sermon.

Work on the Church was completed in 1847 and it was consecrated in 1858. Work on the steeple was concluded in 1865.

Colaba Fishing Village: From the Afghan Church, the fishing village is about a kilometre away. You will pass the Dhobi ghat of Colaba and the skyscrapers of Cuffe Parade on the way. Your destination, Koliwada, is at the end of the road, opposite Badhwar Park (a large Railway staff colony).

The fishing village, is akin to the one at Worli seaface. Rows of small houses, stocked with refrigerators and TVs typify this settlement, apart from the PCO booths and the tiny boats beached at the shore towards the north.