Mumbai’s oldest laundry hub, the 140-year-old Dhobi Ghat, is also the largest open-air space of its kind in the world. The thousands of laundrymen living here hand-wash clothes that arrive from all over the city. One can easily identify the spot outside Mahalaxmi Railway station from the colourful rows of drying clothes. Many visitors come to watch the strenuous process of hand-washing clothes in the age of washing machines. Though some in Dhobi Ghat have switched to using washing machines, hand-wash remains the primary choice of the majority here. Clothes are not only washed but also bleached, ironed and dispatched to their various destinations. Tourists are also intrigued by the laundrymen’s way of life. The location has even earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of washed clothes at a single location.
Dhobi Ghat is predominantly occupied by laundrymen and their families, many of whom stay in shanties nearby. Some families have been in the business for generations. A few are migrants from other parts of India. They earn a living and send money back home.
The shanties dotting this 2.47-acre UNESCO heritage site may soon become history, as developers aim to redevelop the area. Some like Omkar Developers have struck a deal with the locals to rebuild their houses adjoining the ghat.
The efforts to redevelop the area and build skyscrapers in place of the shanties and slums have been welcomed by the residents of Dhobi Ghat, who now aspire for a better life. However, all plans take care to ensure that the Ghat remains untouched. A walk through Mumbai’s Dhobi Ghat is a throwback to a different way of life, one that’s remained untouched by time and modernity. Photos: Paul Noronha