Mombasa SRDS 60 Year Anniversary

Members of the Shree Rajput Dhobi Community are descendants of Rajput warriors of Gujarat who have a communal occupation of being a Dhobi, Gujarati word meaning "Launderer".


In 1896 a pioneer man called Vishrambhai Vira

Chauhan arrived in Kenya to work for the Kenya

Railway Corporation, the builders of the first Kenya-

Uganda Railway. Later on, he sent for his friends and

relatives including Hansrajbhai Giga and

Laxmanbhai Parmar to join him in Kenya. Rajput

Dhobis' emigrated from Diu and from a cluster of five

Villages namely: Kodinar, Una, Porbandar, Delvada

and Ghogla.


In 1935, a communal laundry was started where

several members of the Dhobi community rented a

plot, right by the water's edge in (Madobini) Old

town Mombasa, where they set up their washtubs

and drying lines. Other members soon joined them

and used these dhobi ghats ("rocks"), but each family

paid rent separately.


Some of the prominent members were Trikambhai

Chohan, Veljibhai Solanki, Hirjibhai Parmar,

Premjibhai Keshav, Bhikhabhai Rathod, HarjibhaiVaja, Bhikhabhai Solanki, Devrajbhai Solanki, Keshavlalbhai Modasia, Kanjibhai Hira, Chunilalbhai Hira, Karsanbhai Chohan, Kanjibhai Parmar, Mithabhai Parmar, Laljibhai Chohan, Virchandbhai Maru, Bhikhabhai Dayalal Solanki, Kalidasbhai Chohan, Veljibhai Chohan, Kanjibhai Solanki, Vasrambhai Gohil, just to name but a few...


Click here to read the full article by downloading the publication celebrating the 60 year anniversary of Shree Rajput Dhobi Samaj Mombasa, Kenya!