Delhi's 'Dhobi Ghat' in the 19th century

This photograph is the only piece of evidence that I have come across from the 19^th/early 20th century documenting Delhi's ‘Dhobi Ghat’ (Outdoor laundry). This picture was taken by an English traveller who decided to wander off the beaten track in Delhi and therefore captured an iconic photograph. It showcases the Dhobis (washermen) working along the Yamuna River, laundering linens and clothing for Delhi’s residents. This service, highly valued by the Mughals, was reflected in the Shahjahanabad’s planning, with provisions for washing, bathing and cremation rituals at these ‘ghats’—riverbanks with steps leading into the water. The ghats were strategically located near city gates, many of which were named after them, such as Nigambodh and Kela Ghat.

By the 19th century, however, the British government had transformed the ghats by creating a timber plantation along the Yamuna's banks. As I have mentioned in a previous post, the plantation, designed to serve both economic and political purposes (such as providing fuel and maintaining a barrier between the mainly European dominated Civil Lines and the ghats), reshaped the landscape, leading to the displacement of the traditional spaces such as the ghats. The Dhobis in the picture would have witnessed or been affected by this.

Over the following decades, additional Dhobi Ghats emerged in Delhi, particularly as migrants arrived to meet the city’s ever-growing needs. However, as numerous reports have highlighted, these areas, along with the people who depend on them, have often faced the harsh consequences of urban development, including forced relocations and ‘slum demolitions’.

That’s it from me today. See you next Friday for more on Delhi.