The practice of washing clothes in the open air has been a tradition in Mumbai for several decades. The area has been used for laundry work since the colonial era. The name “Dhobi Ghat” refers to “Dhobi,” meaning a traditional washerman in Hindi, and “Ghat,” which means a place or a set of steps leading to water.

Famous for Its Unique Method:

Unlike the modern-day washing machines used by most people, Dhobi Ghat relies on traditional manual labor. The method is labor-intensive but is said to give the clothes a distinctive, thorough clean.

The area is divided into sections, where each section has a different task, such as washing, rinsing, drying, and ironing. Workers generally specialize in one of these tasks.