The Dhobi's Cycle

The Dhobi's Cycle, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

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The entire area where I stay was a dhobi ghat ..gradually it was reclaimed from the sea and became Bandra Reclamation some parts called Lal Mitti..

Some slums refused to come under the charm of the builder so did not rise vertically...Indraji Nagar Rajeev Nagar and Hanuman Nagar...

There are thus many dhobis at the Bazar and in the vaious slums ..

The dhobis near my house are doing well as they get stock lot of export surplus to wash or press .

Over all the dhobis migrant from Uttar Pradesh like in ghetto like surroundings ..they live peacefully , mind their own business and dont mingle much.

The kids of the dhobis who are educated dont want to carry on with this bussiness .. and opt for jobs according to their qualification or experience.

The dhobis take a weekly off on Mondays ...but some work out of kindness ..I had to go to town I gave him an urgent shirt he pressed him dutifully charged me Rs 10.

Our Dhobi who was attached to us for over 20 years came from Shirly Rajan Road off Carter Road near the Cross , he was like family to us we took care of his needs .. gave him money bought his ticket to go to his hometown.. but they one day he left for good never came back..

For people like us Lucknow born in my case having lived in Mumbai since 54 it is tough to call any other place home besides Mumbai , the kids too were born in Mumbai and the roots spread down the soul of Mumbai, the grand children too were born in Mumbai.

My parents are buried in Mumbai are pucca Mumbaikars anyway.. they built a home away from their own home ...though my dad did add Lucknowi too his surname , I refused to add it .. it is my birthplace but nothing more nothing less , my karam bhumi made me a Pucca Mumbaikar too.

We lived at Wodehouse Road than Strand Colaba , my part of the family moved to Bandra 25 years back and a new set of roots were added to our family tree.