Ramdan Kareem from AbuDhabiWeek.ae

H2O

Sunday, 18 November 2012

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The ultimate slum tour

Made famous by Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, the slum district of Dharavi is a must see on any visit to Mumbai.

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Aside from all the traditional sites to visit whilst in Mumbai, a new and very authentic tour is a must do on any travellers visit. Made famous by the multi award winning film Slumdog Millionaire, the residential district of Dharavi offers an amazing insight into the hidden life of Mumbai residents.

Abu Dhabi Week’s took a tour with ‘Be The Local Tours and Travels’, which is run by university students and slum residents Fahim Vora and Tauseef Siddiqui.

Our tour took two-and-a-half hours, which offered us enough time to see all of the main areas. Fahim grew up in Dharavi and still lives there. He offers a unique insight into life there, and enforces the message of a community full of pride and energy, living and working together for the good of all residents.

Dharavi is formerly a fishing village and is located in the centre of Mumbai between the city's two main railway lines. It covers an area of over 500 acres, has a population of 1.2million people which includes 5,000 businesses contributing $1.5billion to Mumbai’s GDP. It is a self-contained community with a Mosque, church, hospital and all manner of small service suppliers from front room cinemas to fantastic street food.

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Taking the tour is a life changing experience in so much as you will experience quite literally the most diverse neighbourhood in Mumbai and also the true nature of survival in one of Asia’s largest slums.

Dharavi is not a place of defeated people living on the breadline though and is rather an uplifting insight into self-enterprise and the creation of something from nothing.

Many families have lived there for three generations and own or work in a small enterprise, in either plastic recycling, pottery or leather goods.

Dharavi is a major exporter of goods and is in fact the third largest creator of leather goods in the world and fifth overall producer of cotton wear.

By their very nature Dharavi’s residents are an enterprising people and due the worldwide success of Slumdog Millionaire tourism in the area is starting to increase.

Tours offer a first hand insight into this micro community. This is not vacation voyeurism though, photography is not allowed and one is expected to be polite and respectful as you walk through the narrow alleys, tiny factories and small huts.

Touring Dharavi is likely the most perception changing and inspiring tour any visitor can do whilst in Mumbai.
But be quick. Dharavi’s location literally in the centre of the city has made it a prime target for real estate developers. Over 60,000 Dharavi residents have already been re-settled to high-rise accommodation and if local knowledge is to believed the slum will be raised within three years.

For more details go to www.bethelocaltoursandtravels.com – it really is a must see!

Chris Nicolaides

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