On our last day in Mumbai, we were debating going to Dharavi - one of the biggest slums in Asia. The slums were made famous by the movie Slumdog Millionaire (which, by the way, had an excellent soundtrack). As we asked around, some people said it was too risky while others shrugged saying there was nothing to see. Funny thing, the slums of Dharavi turned out to be a highlight of my trip in India.
Opting out of the many walking tours that were offered, my boyfriend and I decided to go on our own. Getting there was easy enough: We took the train from the Chhatrapati Shivaji (Mumbai Central) Station and arrived at the Dadar Station in Dharavi about 15 minutes later.
THE SLUMS OF DHARAVI - A HIGHLIGHT OF MY TRIP IN INDIA
As soon as I got off the train, I noticed the entrepreneurial mindset of some of the residents of Dharavi. Across the street from the train station, a few families were weaving baskets of varying shapes and sizes. A little known fact is that Dharavi is actually a thriving community employing thousands of residents in different industries such as textiles, leather and pottery.
Most of these products are handmade in small households or workshops to then be exported all over the world. I was shocked to learn that the turnover was nearly $650 million each year! Unfortunately, the craftsmen/women only earn a very dismal amount from these profits. Their wages are ridiculously low and working conditions can be incrediblychallenging.
Although Dharavi is considered a slum, I really didn't see that much difference with any other given neighborhood in Mumbai. Mind you, I only visited a small portion of the humongous slum. I'm guessing some areas are worse than others.
One of the reasons I wanted to go to Dharavi was to meet the local craftsmen (mentioned above) but all the shops were closed on Sunday. The upside was that vendors were setting up their goods on the streets for the Sunday market.
Lucky for me, I was able to join the clusters of women on their weekend shopping. This beautiful girl (who spoke perfect English) helped me choose some lovely embroidered trimmings. She even bargained a great price for me hence the ridiculous smile on my face.
Walking tours of Dharavi warn against taking pictures but nobody seemed to mind especially not the children. They always enjoyed having their picture taken. While I was busy going through piles of trimmings, my boyfriend was playing tag with a bunch of kids. I was completely oblivious to all of this until he told me - trimmings will do that to a textile addict like me, haha!
Dharavi has a reputation for being dangerous and sketchy but I never feared for my safety. Of course, I don't suggest walking around alone at night but during the day it was fine. The people were some of the friendliest and most welcoming I met in India. I was often greeted with smiles and friendly hellos. Surprisingly, I wasn't bothered by any touts. In fact, most people went about their day not even giving me a second glance.
I wasn't sure what to expect going to Dharavi but the time I spent there turned out to be a truly wonderful experience. I would've gladly spent more time wandering around Dharavi but I had a bus to catch out of Mumbai. Thanks to the people of Dharavi, my visit to the slums was a highlight of my trip in India!
Have you been to Dharavi? Share your thoughts and comments below!
22 Responses
Karla Ramos
I have yet to visit India but I’ve already heard so much great (and not so great) stuff about it from friends. And thank you for sharing this lovely insight about Dharavi, I’m happy to know that the export from handcrafts is high but how I wish the government can also regulate giving more to the workers, rather than the business owners. Will defnitely include this on my itinerary when I come around!
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
Hi Karla! India is a spectrum of so many adjectives but that’s what makes it so appealing. I agree, workers should profit more from those billions of dollars. It’s very sad that they’re not rightfully recognized for their work.
Punita Malhotra
Your post just proves that there is so much to be learnt from every travel experience. Some travels are glossy and others are rough, but each one changes us in a different way. The key is to focus on learning something new.
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
That’s so well-put and I couldn’t agree more! 🙂
megan_claire
Wow what an incredible experience. It disgusts me that these beautiful people supply so much trade throughout the world yet are forced to live in slums because corporations profit and pay them pittance in return. I’m so glad to hear that Dharavi was actually a very friendly and welcoming place despite the reputation and perhaps the connotation that comes from the word “slum”.
And I agree … Slumdog Millionaire had an excellent soundtrack! 😀
Chrysoula Manika
What a great experince. It doesn’t seem sacry or dangerous for me as well judging from the photos. I only see smiling people. I can totally understand why it was the highlight of your trip.
Nathan
I wanted to go here during my visit to India also but I didn’t get a chance to. I’m glad you went on your own and not with a company, as my local friends said this is controversial. I did get a chance to tour the slums of Kenya during my visits there. It’s really heart breaking and eye opening.
Kathy James
I took a tour of the Dharavi with a company a few years ago. It was really interesting and we got to go in many different factories and recycling areas. I would definitely recommend going too.