Dhobi Ghat (2011)
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Dhobi Ghat is an open air laundry in Mumbai, India.[1] It was constructed in 1890.[2] The washers, known as dhobis, work in the open to clean clothes and linens from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals.
The phrase dhobi ghat is used all over India to refer to any place where many washers are present. Inspired by the Mumbai Dhobi Ghat (then Bombay), the British built Dhobi Ghat in Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1902[3] and there are other dhobi ghat places all over southern Asia.
There are rows of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Claimed to be the world's largest outdoor laundry, Dhobi Ghat is a very popular attraction among foreign tourists.
It is located next to Mahalaxmi railway station on the Western Railway suburban line in southern Mumbai. It is also accessible from the Jacob Circle monorail station. It is near Saat Rasta roundabout.
The Dhobi Kalyan & Audhyogik Vikas Cooperative Society, the apex body that represents washermen, estimates the annual turnover of the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat at around Rs 100 crore. For 18 to 20 hours each day, over 7,000 people flog, scrub, dye and bleach clothes on concrete wash pens, dry them on ropes, neatly press them and transport the garments to different parts of the city. Over one lakh (100,000) clothes are washed each day. Some of the wealthier dhobis have given up on manual cleaning and have now installed large mechanical washing and drying machines.The dhobis collect clothes from all corners of the city, from Colaba to Virar. Their biggest clients are neighbourhood laundries, garment dealers, wedding decorators and caterers, and mid-sized hotels and clubs.[2]
The Saat Rasta Project is a proposed Public Space Project along the Bapurao Jagtap Road, connecting Jacob Circle to the Mahalaxmi Railway Station. This public space will connect to Dhobi Ghat, which is also a major tourist attraction.
Home to the dhobis and their families (around 200 families), the Dhobi Ghat has seen this occupation passed down from one generation to the next. The best time to visit Dhobi Ghat is early morning and early afternoon. While the dhobis are in action in the morning to take care of the washing load, the early afternoons are an ideal time to see the clothes dry.[2]
Today, Dhobi Ghat features over 1,026 open-air wash troughs, each of which is equipped with a stone where clothes are flogged by the dhobis. Clothes are collected from each individual customer, brought to the ghat and sorted by washermen and women. Most of the time the practice is to soak clothes in detergent-infused water overnight and then proceed to flog, scrub and wash them the next morning. Then they are neatly hung on ropes to dry, making the most of the cramped space and simultaneously offering a stunning sight to visitors and observers from the overhead Mahalaxmi Bridge. The clothes are then pressed, folded and neatly packaged into bundles ready to be delivered back to patrons. And even as hundreds of thousands of clothes from Colaba to Virar are handled by thousands of dhobis on a daily basis, rarely does anything get misplaced or lost.
Though one can see some modern machinery lining the washing stations, most of the laundry is still done by hand. The clothes are first sorted and then soaked in soapy water. After this step, dhobis beat the clothes on the flogging stone. The stalls where the dhobis work date back to British Rule.
Home to the dhobis and their families (around 200 families), the Dhobi Ghat has seen this occupation passed down from one generation to the next. Also known as the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, it can be viewed easily from the Mahalaxmi Railway station. The best time to visit Dhobi Ghat is early morning and early afternoon. While the dhobis are in action in the morning to take care of the washing load, the early afternoons are an ideal time to see the clothes dry.
If you happen to visit the ghat, you can step down the bridge and get informal tours from various dhobis, who are always more than eager to share little anecdotes from their trade with curious travelers.
Most Indian cities have an area called the dhobi ghat, a bank of a river or lake where laundry services send clothes to be cleaned. Just like these areas are often on the outskirts of the city, the film Dhobi Ghat (released in some English-speaking markets as Mumbai Diaries) is on the outskirts of Hindi film, not filled with song-and-dance fantasies or wild action, but some subdued drama and a personal view.
Besides the washing machine, most Indian women depends heavily on the Dhobi (aka washer man) to wash the house linen. Heavy-duty laundry is always assigned to this curious breed of people (dhobi), who carry their load to the nearest dhobi ghat and manually launder the towels, bed sheets, trousers etc. Crisp ironed linen and clothes are handed back after a week and the next stack is lined up for collection. Indra is a concept washing machine to aid the dhobi with his washing and make life more easier for him.
Manual labor is cheaper in India than using electricity and machines. Thus the Indra is designed on this premise. A look at this video here will give you an idea on how the dhobis function.
Dhobi ghat is Mumbai's 140 year-old open air laundromat, and it is also estimated nearly half a millions peices of clothes from hotels, hospitals, homes are sent here for laundry service.
I have to visit this place twice as i wanted to take my best shot and when dhobi's (washer-mens) are full in action. its start early morning from 7-am to 8pm. Afteroon is like relaxed mode when clothes are washed and kept for dry.
Hi @Ewaade_3A yes they have face this problems many times mostly clothes went missing but after looking into this problem they have made a laundry card in which they have a proper count how many clothes came and went back.
Your labour shows how much dedicated were you for this specific listing. Simply superb. It needed meticulous planning of everything. You did it. Very informative. Your city is full of such places. Bring these type of places in the Google. We need it. Just keep it up
The air is hot and humid. Sweat is trickling down my spine and my sandals draw water. I sneak through a narrow passage to the sound of clapping feet running back and forth. Loud voices come with violent outbursts and I get a feeling of being in the way. Large knots of dirty clothes hang heavily over the shoulders of the men, and every now and then I see a woman with a knot on her head. We are visiting an open-air laundry in Colaba, in the south of Mumbai. A dhobi ghat.
Inherited profession
The dhobis have to pay rent for each washing pen to the Mumbai authorities. In a society still plagued by corruption, they must expect to be exposed to money collectors who ask for bribes in order to renew leases on behalf of the authorities.
The profession of a dhobi is hard and passed down from generation to generation. Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat spans many blocks and is seen as urban slum. Here, the dhobis live with their families in very poor conditions, and child labour is not uncommon. After all, many are born into the profession.
Dhobi ghat in the south
We chose to visit a smaller and more unknown dhobi ghat in Colaba, the far south of Mumbai. Here you can get closer, and walk unnoticed between busy men, giggling children and the ubiquitous stray dogs. Although a dhobi ghat is characterized by manual labour, there are a few large electrically powered centrifuges under cover.