The most fun part of the day was a visit to BDD Chawl and then the senior center which is part of the Chawl community. In the early 1900s Mumbai was a growing industrial city and needed workers from other states. Chawls were built as housing for the migrant laborers who were men without families with them. Eventually the families came and lived in the Chawl too. Now between six and fifteen family members live in a chawl. yes, it is as small as it looks. people sleep on the floor of the main room.
Chawls are normally two small rooms, but ours had been extended to three without government permission. The entrance to the Chawl units is open and everyone leaves the door of their Chawl open all day and night. The ground floor Chawl that we visited had a step in and over. This is to keep the rats out. All of the Chawl units share toilets outside the units. The whole unit is 300 to 400 square feet. The Chawls are highly valued by the families. Some are professionals but they live in the Chawl because it is their community. They often own other homes and rent out the home and stay in the Chawl. They won't sell them and the real estate is "hot" with a growing and modernizing Mumbai. Young people are leaving the Chawls though. We were guests a we received a cooking lesson from the grandmother in our Chawl. She made us India Burgers which is are spicy potatoes patties with a green curry chutney served in a bread roll. Very good! http://onlybombay.blogspot.in/2008/12/Mumbai-Chawls.html
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