Exploring the Pier or Wharf of Mumbai - Bhaucha Dhakka

Bhaucha Dhakka in Mumbai city's own pier or wharf situated along the Thane creek on the eastern front of Mumbai. It is the wharf that acts as a terminal for numerous passenger boats to ferry passengers and goods to nearby islands and coastal villages near Mumbai, It is also the place where fisherman folks bring their daily catch of fishes of various shapes, sizes, and varieties, they load, unload and dock their small ships, boats, trawlers in the wharf. The estimate that I read is a daily fish catch that gets unloaded here at "Bhaucha Dhakka" is close to 20 tons on a daily basis !! It is the second biggest fishing market in Mumbai after Sassoon docks.

History of the Ferry wharf: The wharf was built by one gentleman named "Lakshman Hari Chandarjee Ajinkya" from the Pathare Prabhu community who are said to be one of the early settlers of Mumbai. Government archives state that till 1835 Bombay as it was called earlier, didn't have its own pier or wharf for either goods or passengers, Hence the government started leasing land to private individuals to built wet dock and basins. Bhau as Lakshman Ajinkya was fondly called grabbed the opportunity and built the city's first wharf in 1841 for the convenience of passengers and ships transporting goods and for the fishing industry.

The original location of the dock was at Alexandra dock which was shifted later in 1969 to its present site. Ferry services serve and link up JNPT and Uran on the east, Rewas, and Mandwa coastal town on the south. There is an RO-RO terminal being built in the vicinity which would allow passengers to take their own vehicles along with them to nearby coastal towns which will substantially bring down the time to travel as well as substantial savings in cost to travel to these places.

For seafood lovers, This market is the go-to place, The fishing boats starting coming with their loads early in the morning and the market is abuzz with traders, buyers, and sellers since wee hours in the morning. By afternoon the place goes completely silent a stark contrast to hustle and bustle of the morning but still, you would still find one or two fishing boats unloading their catch. Though photographers are said to be not allowed you can still visit and manage to click during nonpeak hours. 

It is not the swanky wharf that Mumbai has but it is rustic and raw and that makes it all the more interesting to visit and get a feel of our very own wharf. Another place that handles more load of fish than Bhaucha cha dhakka is Sassoon docks located in the Southern tip of Mumbai at Colaba. 

The road that leads us to Bhaucha Dhakka is known as Mujawar Pakhadi road, Mujawar in Arabic means "the keeper" or "guardian" of a Mohamedian mosque or a Saint's tomb and Pakhadi is locality or a quarter. Formerly there were some tombs in the locality due to which it gets the name "Mujawar Pakhadi".

How to travel: Dockyard station is the nearest station located at 1 km, regular buses ply till the wharf.

Or you may just walk down from the east side of the station, passing through one of the oldest areas of Mumbai and along the Mazgaon docks which is one the biggest shipbuilders for India.