Khotachiwadi, Heritage village in Girgaon, Mumbai, India
This heritage site in Girgaon contains wooden residences built in Portuguese style, each with a front veranda, rear courtyard, and exterior staircase accessing upper bedrooms. The narrow lanes connect roughly 28 surviving structures that display characteristic features including deep roof overhangs, decorative fascia boards, and religious crosses.
Founded in the late 1700s by a Pathare Prabhu entrepreneur named Khot, the settlement originally held 65 houses that shaped daily life in this corner of Mumbai. Over time, most structures disappeared, but the remaining core preserves glimpses of that earlier period.
The residents descend from early Christian communities that settled in Mumbai and continue to shape daily life through their traditions. Religious symbols appear throughout the lanes, and the homes serve as living family spaces where neighbors gather and interact regularly.
The lanes are quite narrow and can feel confusing without a mental map of the area. Walking slowly and observing as you go is the best way to appreciate the architecture and the streets' layout.
Each house features Mangalore wood in its roof construction, a material chosen for its durability that gives the place its distinctive appearance. This building approach reflects Portuguese maritime influences that shaped construction practices across coastal India for centuries.
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