Celebrating the wallah and walli of Mumbai's streets
India lives in its streets, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Mumbai, city of salesmen, busily offering, brewing, collecting or cooking right there on the sidewalk as you stroll by. The chai-wallah serves up steaming thimbles of tea, the dhobi-wallah collects your laundry, the rickshaw-wallah takes you to your next destination. Where there's a need you can be pretty sure there's someone willing to provide. Got dirty ears? Search out your nearest kaan-saaf-wallah who will happily scrape away the grime, for a modest price. These roadside entrepreneurs fuel the flourishing street economy of India with their diverse trades and assorted services. Although many wallah move around to find the demand hotspots, I fondly noted their regular presence in certain neighborhoods while I was living in Mumbai. As I charged around by scooter, rickshaw or taxi, I could always count on nods of recognition by my local wallah from their pavement perches and regular haunts. Check out the Best of CNNGo's Mumbai section for more insights into Mumbai. And join our Mumbai Facebook group
I would often catch sight of them plying their trade amidst the flurry of city life. The flair of the chai-wallah forming arcs of steaming tea as he pours from glass to glass. The precision of the nariel-wallah hacking the tops off coconuts. The calm of the dabba-wallah as he negotiates Mumbai's maddening traffic to deliver dozens of lunch boxes. At other times they are integral to the street-side commotion with their signature cries to alert us of their offerings and the banter of competing wallah vying for customer attention. Wallah, and their female equivalent -- walli -- respond to the hundreds of opportunities that Mumbai’s urban neighborhoods present. As vital as they are vibrant, wallahs are a constant feature of the urban Indian landscape and act as functional anchors for the communities they serve. |
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| Dukaan (shop) walli A small roadside stall near the Worli village fish market. Should you be in Mumbai and want to take a personalised tour, I highly recommend Deepa Krishna and Freni Avari of Mumbai Magic: A la Carte Tours. The tour I took here was of the fishing village at Worli which is far from the usual tourist route of Mumbai and has a completely different atmosphere to the heaving city.
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| Phul (flower) walli A beautiful Maharastrian flower seller in Phul Galli at Dadar Station.
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| Coolie A coolie and his basket which he carries on his head to ferry vegetables from Crawford Market to the Subji Bazaar at Buleshwar.
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| Resting Phul (flower) wallah Afternoon siesta at the flower market in Dadar.
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| Painter and denter wallah A panelbeater near Mahalaxmi station.
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| Dabbawallahs (lunch box delivery men) and train buddies As I head to Dharavi for research work I end up in the baggage compartment used by Mumbai's famous dabbawallahs.
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| Dabbawallah on a train A dabbawallah on the return train journey to Bandra. There is a brilliant comraderie between these men.
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| The Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat The Dhobhi Ghats are where Mumbaiker's laundry is soaked, slapped, spun, and pressed in this centralised open-air hub spread across 10 acres at Mahalaxmi. Read Meena Kadri's photo essay on the subject.
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| Jan Mohammed dhobi wallah (washerman) Jan Mohammed (65) has worked at the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghats for 40 years. He rents his own ghat which is worked at by three people. Some 5,000 Dhobi Wallahs work the ghats, many of whom reside within the compound with their families. The few I met earned my respect for their dedication. It is a job that is passed on through families, predominantly from Andra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, which adds a dimension of pride among this close-knit community.
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| Machhi (fish) walli This woman was de-shelling prawns in Worli's fishing village. It's hard to imagine that this relaxed sea-side village sits is tucked away in a city that holds upwards of 16 million inhabitants.
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| Anda (egg) wallah Egg trays are stored under a stall near Mumbai's fascinating Chor Bazaar (Thieves Market).
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| Fruit wallah This man takes an afternoon siesta amongst wrapped papaya at Crawford Market.
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| Juice wallah Selling fresh lime drinks at Dharavi.
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| Recycle wallah The bulk transporting of cooking oil containers which have been cleaned for re-use in Dharavi.
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| Unda (egg) wallah This man is cycling his fragile stock through the market at Mukundnagar, Mumbai.
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| Chai wallah A teenager delivering tea at Kumbharwada, Dharavi.
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| Knife shapener wallah A mobile knife sharpner that operates from a bicycle. This was a particularly busy day for him as it was the day before Bakri Eid, when Muslims worldwide slaughter goats to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God.
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| Masala dukaan (spice shop) wallah Spice stall at Tilak Market where Mumbaikers buy freshly grounded spices such a red chilli powder, coriander power, cumin powder and so on for everday cooking.
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| Band wallah A wedding band player on Grant Road in Mumbai.
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| Police wallah A jewelery store guard in Kalbadevi. Here each morning, in the Zaveri Bazaar, the price of gold is set for the day's gold trading for the whole of India. |
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