3 hours – Daily
09:15am – from Churchgate Station
10:00am – from Mahim Station
Rs 1,500 per person
(Includes pottery workshop materials and tools)
Minimum 2 people
For larger groups, please get in touch
Visit Dharavi and see why it is the heart of small-scale industry in Mumbai and Join us in Kumbharwada and get hands-on with pottery making!
Known to many as ‘one of the largest slums in Asia’, we prefer to think of Dharavi as Mumbai’s beating heart. It houses about one million of Mumbai’s inhabitants and its industries have an annual turnover of approximately US$ 665 million.
Through our educational walking tours, visitors experience a wide range of these business activities: recycling, pottery-making, embroidery, bakery, soap factory, leather tanning, poppadom-making and many more.
We’ll also visit the residential areas of Dharavi. People from all over India have come to live in Dharavi, making it a microcosm of India. This diversity is apparent in the temples, mosques, churches and pagodas that stand side by side.
Kumbharwada is one of Dharavi’s oldest and most compelling communities, home to its thriving pottery industry. Spend a few hours with us learning about the community’s rich history and how it became the hub of pottery making in Mumbai.You will see where the material comes from, how it’s prepared, moulded into shape and finally baked.
We will also get hands-on, visiting a local potter’s workshop—where we’ll get a general overview of pottery making and have a go at wheel throwing and making a piece of Kumbharwada art.
Our mission is to improve the quality of lives in our communities. Like all of our tours, 80% of the profits fund our NGO Reality Gives and our partner NGOs. Thank you for supporting our programs by signing up for the tour!
Dharavi is the heart of Mumbai. It houses about one million of Mumbai’s inhabitants and its industries have an annual turnover of approximately US$ 665 million. Find out how Dharavi was created.
Metal and plastic comes from all over the world to Dharavi to be recycled. See the entire recycling process from sorting to the finished plastic pellets.
The tin hutments that house so many human lives stretch on as far as you can see. You will never forget this view!
Learn more about how we help Reality Gives and support the local community.
Learn about one of the oldest communities in Dharavi, the Kumbhars, a community of potters originally from Gujarat.
Understand the traditional methods used for pottery making, the various types of muds and pots produced and how the younger generation are taking business forward.
Join a local potter and get hands-on trying the wheel throwing technique. It’s a fun, engaging and active learning experience that helps improve concentration and patience as well!
Churchgate Station or Mahim Station
Churchgate Station
There are four entrances to Churchgate Station, including two subways. The first photo shows the station as you approach from Colaba and where the entrance is. Once inside the station, go to the book stall about 30 metres before the platforms (as shown in the next two photos). Look for the sign saying “Wheeler.” (Photos: One, Two, Three)
Mahim Station
We meet at the main entrance and ticket office on the West side of the station (photo 1). To check if you are in the right spot, verify that V-Jai Restaurant and Bakery is opposite and Cafe Coffee Day is diagnolly opposite. (Photos: One, Two, Three)
Churchgate Station or Mahim Station.
2 hour walking tour and 1 hour pottery workshop
09:15am – from Churchgate Station
10:00am – from Mahim Station
We did 2 tours with Reality Tours – the Pottery Tour and the Slum Tour. We had three children with us aged 17, 14 and 11. Our guide on both tours was Balaji or ‘Bala’. He was an excellent guide and we couldn’t recommend him more highly. We were kept interested and engaged throughout both tours. They were such positive and inspiring experiences. The pottery tour was hands on and we enjoyed making pots and seeing the open air kilns. The slum tour focused on the industries that operate amongst communities in Dharavi most notably the fascinating recycling businesses. It was a fantastic lesson on recycling, community and ingenuity. We are left completely inspired. We highly recommend Reality Tours.
