The Kolis gave their name to the southernmost of Bombay’s seven islands, Kola-bhat or Colaba, the landed estate of the fisherfolk

In the early 18^th century, Colaba became a place for recreation, when the East India Company released large herds of deer on the islands. Englishmen came here by ferryboat and other small craft for shikar and sport, primarily to escape the claustrophobic confines of the walled town

In 1743, Colaba was leased to a Richard Broughton at Rs 200 per annum. Until it was renewed in 1764 in favour of his heirs, hardly any development was noticeable except for a few tombs including that of Sir John Chid, Governor from 1681 to 1690, of which no trace now remains

Many families lived on the island which was connected to Bombay by a mile long open, rocky way, accessible only at low tide. Foolhardy visitors who missed the proper time for crossing, swam their horses across the waters of the incoming tide and many lives were lost in the attempt

Colaba causeway was therefore built for the convenience of visitors. The construction of the causeway in 1838 was an important milestone in Bombay's history. Not only did it open up new land for development, but more importantly, it was the last link in the process of fusing together Bombay's seven islands into one land mass

There was very little habitation in the southern end of the Colaba island, in what was then called Upper Colaba. The first prominent structures built here included a meteorological observatory, located on the eastern side and a lunatic asylum constructed near the western foreshore in 1826

The linking of Colaba with Bombay resulted in an immense rise in land values on the southern islands and many more houses were constructed. The first major transformation in the locality took place in 1844, when it became the new centre for cotton trade. Thus, over the following decades Colaba Causeway developed into a busy mercantile centre

As a result of the intensified activity at Colaba, the causeway was widened and rebuilt between 1861 and 1863 and the bustling precinct was designated as a separate ward of the newly constituted Bombay Municipality in 1872. In 1975, Sassoon Dock, the first wet dock and bunder, was built at eastern Colaba by David Sassoon & Company

By this time, the Bombay Baroda & Central India Railway had also built its main terminal at Colaba. The growth in trade and transport led to a further rise in population and more residential buildings sprang up in the coming years within the locality

Because of the rapid urbanization and development, the Kolis got confined to small enclaves such as the Sassoon Dock area on the eastern shore