 |
Gorai | |
|---|---|
Suburb | |
 Fishing boats near Gorai | |
  Gorai Location of Gorai in Mumbai | |
| Coordinates: 19°14′27″N 72°46′55″E / 19.24083°N 72.78194°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| District | Mumbai Suburban |
| City | Mumbai |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MCGM) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Marathi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Area code | 022 |
| Civic agency | BMC |
Gorai ([ɡoɾaːi]) is a village at Dharavi Bhet, in Mumbai, India. It is located on the North-western part of the island of Salsette. Gorai is accessed more usually by a ferry crossing the Manori Creek and Gorai creek or otherwise by the overland route through Bhayander. Gorai is bordered by the villages of Manori and Uttan, Pali, Chowk, Dongri, Tarodi, Rai, Morva and Murdhe.[1]
Marathi is the most spoken language in this region. East Indian community, Panchkalshi or Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathare (SKP) and Koli's are the native people of this area.
Until the 1980s, Gorai was known for its clean beaches and palm trees. However, with the increase in pollution around Mumbai, the Arabian Sea is unfit for swimming although Gorai is less polluted than the other beaches in Mumbai. Gorai still enjoys its calm, laid back charm quite in contrast to the fast-paced life of the city just on the other side of the creek. Bullock carts are still in use here and the area suffers from a water shortage but with real-estate developers steadily bulldozing their way into this prized suburban tract, the physical and cultural fabric of the villagers of Gorai is now quite endangered.[2]
The Essel World, the first and the biggest amusement park of India, was built in Gorai in 1986. The park has several rides that cater to all age groups, and is known for its colossal infrastructure. The Global Vipassana Pagoda, featuring the tallest pillar-less dome in the world, a place for meditation, is built on 13 acres of land near Gorai. It is similar in shape to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.[3]
- ^ "Gorai SEZ- Salient features of Dharavi Island". Gordon D'Souza, Christian Spotlight. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
- ^ "East Indian settlements threatened". The Times of India. 30 October 2001. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
- ^ "Global Vipassana Pagoda inaugurated in Mumbai". DNA. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2013.