Dhobi Ghat

Mumbai's human washing machine

Noteworthy for: Dhobi Ghat is considered the world's largest open-air laundromat.
Talk of the town: Released in 2011, popular art-house flick 'Dhobi Ghat' chronicled the life of a Mumbai launderer trying to break into Bollywood.

Known as dhobis, Mumbai's professional washer-folk congregate in this huge, 140-year-old facility to launder clothes from across the city - by hand. The vintage ghat houses more than 1,000 small, open-air troughs, with up to five people cramming into each one daily to perform the knuckle-breaking work.
The increased affordability of washing machines in India is thought to be threatening this ancient practice, but with at least 100,000 articles thought to be laundered here each day, Dhobi Ghat won't become defunct anytime soon.

Located next to Mahalaxmi railway station, Dhobi Ghat is an easy attraction to tick off, with best views awarded from the railway flyover bridge. You won't need more than a few minutes to appreciate the spectacle, but if you'd like a closer look, offer one of the enterprising "guides" a few rupees to show you around. When bargaining, keep in mind that the dhobis earn little more than INR 100 per day.