My Heritage Chronicles

Bhaucha Dhakka in Mumbai city's own pier or wharf situated along the Thane creek on the eastern front of Mumbai. It is the wharf that acts as a terminal for numerous passenger boats to ferry passengers and goods to nearby islands and coastal villages near Mumbai, It is also the place where fisherman folks bring their daily catch of fishes of various shapes, sizes, and varieties, they load, unload and dock their small ships, boats, trawlers in the wharf. The estimate that I read is a daily fish catch that gets unloaded here at "Bhaucha Dhakka" is close to 20 tons on a daily basis !! It is the second biggest fishing market in Mumbai after Sassoon docks. History of the Ferry wharf: The wharf was built by one gentleman named "Lakshman Hari Chandarjee Ajinkya" from the Pathare Prabhu community who are said to be one of the early settlers of Mumbai. Government archives state that till 1835 Bombay as it was called earlier, didn't have its own pier or w...

My previous post on exploring the Peth wada's of the old city of Pune is in the link ( Wadas of Pune (Part-1) Continuing with my walk exploring the old-world charm hidden in the alleys of Peth's, I stumbled and walked past many wadas and old houses, searching stories and heritage associated with them which made my walk even more interesting. One of the Wada on Shaniwar Peth is "Natu Wada", I would have taken it for an old city chawl had it not been a small signboard indicating the name of the Wada. Natu Wada was established by Balaji Pant Natu who was a spy working for the British against the Peshwa. When British troops entered Shaniwar Wada in November of 1817, He was the one who unfurled the Union Jack. One thing I noticed was the old wadas and buildings had such big wooden doors and a smaller "dindi Darwaza" for security reasons. I have always been fascinated with such wooden entrances as it gives such a rustic look and charm of the old wo...