A dabbawala (one who carries the lunch box), is a person in the Indian city of Mumbai whose job is to carry and deliver freshly made food from home in lunch boxes to office workers. Dabbawala in action Although the service remains essentially low-tech, with the barefoot delivery men as the prime movers, The success of the system depends on teamwork and time management .Such is the dedication and commitment of the barely literate and barefoot delivery men . A simple color coding system doubles as an ID system for the destination and recipient. There are no multiple elaborate layers of management either — just three layers. Each dabbawala is also required to contribute a minimum capital in kind, in the shape of two bicycles, a wooden crate for the tiffins, white cotton kurta-payjamas, and the white trademark Gandhi topi (cap).
Observe the backbreaking work behind the tiffin delivery surface in Mumbai on this comprehensive Dabbawalla tour. Hop on a train toward Maha Laxmi Station and watch as the professional delivery men carry over 175,000 packages in just a few short hours.
What is included in the tour
- Interaction and pictures with Dabbawalas.
- English-speaking guide
- 1st class train ticket from Churchgate to Mahalaxmi Train Station
- All taxes
What is NOT included in the tour
Transportation is Not included.
A meeting with the Dabbawala of Mumbai.
- Meet at Churchgate Station.
- Our Representative “guide” for Bollywood tour will meet you with your name pla card.
- Arrival at Churchgate Railway Station and watch the Dabbawallas transfer dabbas (lunch boxes) into the wooden cart on the train. Arrival at the Maha Laxmi Station at 11:00 and observe the workers sorting out their tiffin boxes by area. Hear a brief introduction with the Dabbawallas and their exact arrangements about how the tiffins are coded and distributed.
- Head toward Dhobi Ghat, where a traditional laundry man will collect your dirty linen, wash it, and return it neatly pressed to your doorstep. Continue back to Churchgate Station and watch the Dabbawallas carrying their goods before heading back to your hotel.