Marwari Population in Mumbai
Marwari people are one of the most cultured ethnic groups in India. They mainly come from the state of Rajasthan. Being skilled in the art of running a business, they are scattered all over the nation.
You will find Marwaris in almost every corner of the country. From trading jewels to running a grocery shop, they can operate all types of small to large-scale businesses.
According to the last census (2011) conducted in India, Mumbai has 2.57 percent of the Marwari population. You will find a lot of Gujarati-speaking Marwaris staying in the Northern suburbs of Mumbai such as Borivali, Mira Road, Dahisar, Kandivali, and Malad.
A lot of Marwaris are Jain, but a few are Hindus. As you already know Jains do not eat meat, and they have a special diet. As a result, most Marwari Jains in Mumbai consume traditional Rajasthani food such as dal bati churma, ker sangri, wheat roti, kadhi, gatte ki sabzi, and mirchi bada.
Food is a huge part of Rajasthani Marwari culture and they have several mouth-watering dishes. Rajasthani Thali being one of the popular foods, is available all over Mumbai. A thali is an assortment of food items cooked in clarified butter (also known as desi ghee).
Most Marwaris in Mumbai prefer to wear casual western attire, but you will see some folks wearing traditional clothes on special occasions. Women wear thickly bordered sarees and men wear traditional dhoti-chola. The traditional attire is inspired by the bygone royal kings and queens of Rajasthan.
Although the Marwaris who stay in Mumbai have ingrained themselves in the local culture, they do bring certain social habits with them. They are considered to be talkative bunch. And it is considered offensive for a Marwari to keep it to themselves. On the whole, they add something unique to the already vibrant culture of Mumbai.
Interestingly some Rajasthani Marwaris have settled in Mumbai’s Chira Bazaar area. Chira Bazaar is located between Kalbadevi and Marine lines, and it is famous for its jewelry shops. According to a report by TOI, some Marwaris have also learned Konkani as the area is surrounded by Goan folks.
