Korlai: A Portuguese-speaking Village In Maharashtra

Abutting the Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary in the Raigad district of Maharashtra is a small village whose linguistic uniqueness inspires its preservation. The estimated 800 to 1,000 inhabitants of Korlai village speak Korlai Portuguese, an Indo-Portuguese creole based on the Portuguese language. Also known as Korlai Creole, the speakers are part of a close-knit community and refer to themselves as the “Kristi,” with a deep faith in the Roman Catholic tradition of Christianity.

Korlai: A Contested Site

Chaul was an important trading centre near Korlai and was under Muslim rule from 1318 when the Portuguese made their first visit in 1505. The two camps maintained friendly relations, so much so that the Portuguese built a fort in 1521 with the permission of the Ahmednagar Sultanate. However, due to rising tensions between the two, war broke out, and in 1594, the Portuguese tried to take over the Korlai Fort formally. The besieged soldiers of the Sultanate surrendered in the end. But having won the fort, the Portuguese did not have enough people to stand guard so they chose to destroy the building, leaving only the central tower and a battery intact.

By 1630, a small Christian community grew when the Our Lady of the Sea Church was built on the hill. The slaves and the offspring of the casados ("Portuguese men") and soldadas ("soldiers") were mainly Christian converts. The Portuguese abandoned Chaul and the hill to move to Goa in 1740, leaving behind a small community of faithful worshippers.

A Magnificent Fort Now In Ruins

Before its demolition, the Korlai Fort was a beacon of Portuguese colonial architecture. It was 2,828 ft long and had 305 battlements for guns. Entry was through 11 gates—four on the outside and seven on the inside. The top of the hill was surrounded by a parapet and had a large rainwater cistern with three mouths, each one foot wide. A church was built in 1630 for the use of the army and was functional until 1728.

On the inland side—the only place where the Korlai Fort was susceptible to attack—it was protected by a ditch and could only be accessed by a drawbridge. The main entrance was guarded by a bronze lion and the highest tower by a bronze eagle. It housed 7,000 horses and as many men.

Some parts of the fort have since been rebuilt, but only the outer shell of the church, a few bastions with cannons, and a couple of plaques with designs and inscriptions survive today.  

Present-Day Korlai Village

From 1740 to 1814, Korlai’s population was estimated to be around 300. Since then, it has risen to just under 1,000 residents. Until recently, agriculture was the main economic activity of the village. With an increase in education and the advent of factories in the area, Korlai’s inhabitants became more entrepreneurial. While Korlai Portuguese is still spoken in the village, Marathi, the regional language of the area, is predominantly used in educational and administrative matters.

The future of Korlai Creole is clouded thanks to the small population and the influence of languages like Marathi, Konkani, and English. No formal body or authority has made efforts to preserve the language by publishing, recording, or creating any literary material.

How To Reach Korlai

Korlai is just 22 km from Alibaug and 115 km from Mumbai by road. The nearest railway station is Kasu on the Panvel–Roha route of Central Railways.