Dhobi Ghat and the wholesale market

From there, we got back in the taxi to go to Churchgate Station, where we caught a local train to Mahalaxmi to visit Dhobi Ghat, the world's largest open-air laundry. Here, thousands of washermen (dhobis) manually wash clothes and bedding from hotels, hospitals, and homes using concrete wash basins and flogging stones. It has been operating since 1890. 200,000 items are cleaned here every day. The dhobis and their families live in makeshift shelters built above the wash basins and between hundreds of lines of drying laundry. It's quite a sight - especially against the backdrop of newly-built skyscrapers which are part of Mumbai's thriving financial district!

After visiting Dhobi Ghat, we got back on the train to go to the markets. I was gasping for a coffee by this point, but every kiosk and drinks seller I asked only had chai!

We went to the wholesale fruit and veg market first. We walked through the illegal stalls set up on the road side to reach the legal stalls. The illegal sellers with their cheaper prices seemed busier. Both legal and illegal vendors had huge quantities of many different varieties of chillies. The air was thick with their pungent aroma, making buyers and sellers alike cough! My eyes were streaming and my nose was running. When I looked around, everyone seemed to be suffering in the same way 😀.Read more