Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat

• Prize
• Photographer
  Rachel Applefield, France

Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat is a vast open air laundromat, spanning
28,000 square meters in the heart of Mumbai. The prime real
estate is coveted for many purposes other than its current use.
However, is not only a place where people work, washing clothes
by hand, it is also home to some 1,500 residents. Votes and talks
involving the residents are underway and companies such as
Lokhandwala are eager to begin redevelopment projects that
would displace these workers and residents. Many of the
residents, however, are fearful of the plans supervised by the slum
rehabilitation authority (SRA).

My objective with this project was to document the current state of
Dhobi Ghat - both the lives and cultures of the inhabitants and
workers as well as the physical structures found there - as it
seems likely that in the future the landscape and function of this
area will be revolutionized.