Lather Rinse Repeat

There is no airing of dirty laundry here, the Washermen certainly wouldn’t allow it. Meet the men and women who have been washing Kochi’s laundry since 1720.

- Rochelle D’Souza

If you happen to be walking down the street adjacent to the Veli Ground in Fort Kochi, you're most likely be greeted by lilting refrains of old MGR melodies or classic tunes from Rajinikanth movies melded with the rhythmic beating of clothes to the washing stone.

Welcome to the Dhobi Khana in Fort Kochi, unbeknown to most Kochi's citizens, this little Khana, obscured from view near the Veli Ground bus stop has been functional since 1976 and Kochi has been home to a unique ethnic community of dhobis for the past 298 years.

The origins of the dhobi khana are said to date back to colonial times. It is said that the Vannan community were brought to Kochi by the Raja of Cochin from Coimbatore and Tirunelveli to wash the army uniforms of the Portuguese and after the fall of their dominion in Kochi, they served the Dutch. The community has been working in the Veli area since 1720 and once carried out their washing in the ponds that surrounded Veli. Historical records show that there were around 80 ponds in and around the area of Veli. During the rule of the Dutch in Fort Kochi, 13 acres of land was bestowed to the Vannan community to carry out their washing and drying and was known as "Mainath Veli".