Meet the Dabbawallas and Dhobis of Mumbai

Two of the oldest – yet most vital! – trades in Mumbai are the Dabbawallas, and the Dhobis. The Dabbawallas are the lifeblood of the working city: following an incredibly complex schedule of pick-ups and drop-offs, they deliver home-made tiffin lunches from residential apartments straight onto the desks of city centre workers. Timing is crucial for this excursion: you must arrive at Churchgate station for 11am sharp in order to watch the Dabbawallas are in full swing sorting their precious, hot cargo. The guide will explain the ingenious system they use for keeping track of each and every meal and the challenges they face in delivering 200,000 lunch boxes daily. From Churchgate Station take you will board a local train to nearby Mahalaxmi station from where you can see the Dhobi Ghat (the washer-men’s colony). Dhobi Ghat is a well-known open air laundromat in Mumbai. The washers, locally known as Dhobis, work in the open to wash the clothes from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals.