In the late 19th century, Bombay drew labourers from different parts of Tamil Nadu, who settled and thrived in Dharavi (a former wasteland), shaping it into a vibrant Tamil cultural hub. Unlike the affluent Tamil enclaves like Sion-Matunga-Chembur, Dharavi became home to marginalised Tamils who distinctly recreated their homeland. Through this walk, we explore Dharavi's streets that replicate the Tamil land's culture, food (beyond idli, dosai, and filter coffee), and even politics. Some special highlights of the experience include a visit to one of the last surviving leather tanneries and interactions with the Tamil people. Beyond exploring Tamil heritage, this walk aims to destigmatize Dharavi, revealing a side never seen before - of the untold stories of migration, resilience, cultural retention, and community building.
This walk is led by Pooja Ashokkumar, a second and third-generation Tamil in Mumbai, who has embarked on a personal quest to document and research her own family and community history in Bombay. She leads walks in Dharavi to uncover its lesser-known chapter of the Tamil migration and identity. Pooja is also a Learning and Research Associate at the Sarmaya Arts Foundation.
Please note: a portion of the ticket price will be shared with people from Dharavi who give their time and stories to the walk group.
This edition of the Tamil Nadu to Dharavi walk is organised as part of the outreach programme for Sarmaya's ongoing exhibition, High Seas, Open Roads: Journeys that bring us home. Visit the exhibition at Sarmaya until February 15, 2025.
About the Exhibition: For a majority of human history, travel was painful, expensive and dangerous — and only attempted when it was riskier to stay. The most heroic journeys even today are undertaken by those seeking not adventure, but asylum. A shared genetic memory of these migrations connects us all. And it stirs at the promise of the open road.
There’s a poignant resilience to the artefacts that travel with us. A handful of letters, photographs and sketches, a bottle of coins. They carry the precious cargo of our memories and our stories. From a dream in Delhi to a museum in Mumbai, the story of Sarmaya is shaped by such journeys. We invite you to retrace those steps through souvenirs, sights and immersive soundscapes that remind us of where we’ve been.