Dharavi Slum

Dharavi is the largest slum in Mumbai and the third largest in the world, made famous by the movie Slumdog Millionaire. About a million people live there and about 280,000 people per square kilometer, it is one of the most densely populated areas on earth.

The Dharavi Slum was established in 1884 during the British colonial period, and grew due to the colonial government's expulsion of factories and residents from the peninsula's city center and the emigration of Indians. rural to urban Mumbai. For this reason, Dharavi is now a very religiously and ethnically diverse settlement.

Visitors can join tours of travel companies specializing in providing tours to the Dharavi slums. When visiting Dharavi visitors will be informed of a particularly strict policy of no cameras during the tour, both to protect residents' privacy and to prevent everything from looking like a zoo.

Some areas in Dharavi are much more developed than visitors imagine. Many of the aisles are much neater and smelling good than in Mumbai. Machines and workers labor industriously, producing all kinds of materials from suitcases to papadums. Visitors can learn how Mumbai's plastic recycling is done in Dharavi, among other businesses.

Dharavi is a "5-star slum" because it has now attracted the attention of so many tourists from all over the world, in addition to being able to see the factories here, there are also bakeries, cricket grounds, Paid toilets are available for visitors, and some places even have wifi.

But from the main road that leads through Dharavi, this place makes a desperate impression. Once deep into the narrow alley, Dharavi proves that the slums are dirty, underdeveloped and criminal places that are not suitable for real living conditions. Most are in poor condition and the cramped spaces are not comfortable for living. However in the huts are very clean and some of the huts even look nice. The beautiful curtains on the windows and balconies covered with flowers and plants show that everyone here tries to make their home as cozy and comfortable as possible.

Opening hours: recommended to visit Dharavi during the day.