Dhobi Ghat

Dhobi Ghat at Mahalaxmi is a vast open-air laundry in central Mumbai, often described as one of the largest in the world. Dhobi Ghat was built in 1890 and is made up of rows of concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone, where dhobis, the city's traditional washermen, scrub, beat and rinse clothes and linen from homes, hotels and hospitals across Mumbai.

The dhobis work as family businesses, many from communities that have washed clothes for generations, and several thousand people live and work around the ghat. Laundry is collected across the city, washed in the pens, dried on long lines strung across the rooftops, then ironed, folded and returned, all tracked with a marking system of symbols stitched or inked onto each piece. Industrial machines now stand alongside the hand washing, but Dhobi Ghat still works much as it did a century ago. The best view is from the road bridge beside Mahalaxmi station, where you can look down on the whole scene.

What to see

• The wash pens with their flogging stones, busiest in the early morning
• Colourful lines of drying clothes and sheets across the rooftops
• Ironing rooms, where heavy irons press the finished laundry
• The overview from the Mahalaxmi station road bridge
• Mahalaxmi Temple, dedicated to the goddess of wealth, about 1.5 km away

What to wear

There is no dress code at Dhobi Ghat, but you are walking into people's workplace and homes, so dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered. Wear shoes you do not mind getting wet, as lanes inside can be muddy and soapy. Light cotton suits the humidity. If you visit Mahalaxmi Temple afterwards, shoes come off at the entrance. Many of the older dhobis still wear a simple vest with a lungi or dhoti while working.

Local food to try

Around Mahalaxmi and Tardeo, look for Maharashtrian snacks such as vada pav, sabudana vada and misal pav, and Mumbai sandwiches layered with chutney, vegetables and cheese. Haji Ali Juice Centre, near the causeway to Haji Ali Dargah, has served fresh juices, milkshakes and falooda for decades. The Muslim areas nearby have halal kebab and biryani stalls.

Good to know

• Best time: early morning, between about 7am and 10am, when washing is at its peak
• The bridge view is open at all times; the ghat itself is a working area
• Free to view from the bridge; guided walks inside are paid
• Allow 20 minutes from the bridge, an hour with a guided walk
• Next to Mahalaxmi station on the Western line, about 6 km north of Churchgate
• Ask before photographing people, and go inside only with a guide

Nearby places

From Dhobi Ghat it is a short taxi ride to Haji Ali Dargah on the Worli shore, then south along Marine Drive to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in the Fort area.