Bhaucha Dhakka: Mumbai’s Biggest Fish Market

The plush side of the city of dreams Mumbai is known to all. Experience its rustic, raw side - visit Bhaucha Dhakka – Mumbai’s biggest fish market.


City of dreams, home to the country's biggest film industry, India's financial and commercial capital - Mumbai, formerly Bombay, needs no introduction. Popular for its food, fashion and spirit, Mumbai is a livewire. It's a dream city for a lot of aspiring individuals and thousands travel to the city each day.

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Mumbai is not only one of the largest and most populous cities, it is also one of the busiest cities in the country. For a traveller, the city is a treasure trove with its beaches, temples, waterfalls, food, history, art, architecture, music and more. Shri Siddhivinayak Temple, Mount Mary Church, Gateway of India, Taj Hotel, Marine Drive, Bandstand, etc., are only a few of the many landmarks.

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Coexisting with Mumbai's plush and glamorous world is another rustic world within Mumbai which exhibits the true essence of the place and of the people. There are several places which a traveller must visit, in order to truly understand what the city is. One such place is Bhaucha Dhakka - the biggest fish market of Mumbai.

Predominantly home to the fishermen, Mumbai was formed when seven islands came together. Being a major seaport at the Arabian Sea, the city underwent huge transformation and serious developments under the British rule. The classic Victoria Terminus, now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station was built in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee.

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Even today some of the most iconic Victorian styled buildings and structures seen in Mumbai subtly transport you to the era bygone. But Bhaucha Dhakka at Mazgaon dock is nothing like the charming Victorian buildings we are talking about. On the contrary, it is rustic and raw as opposed to the plush side of the Mumbai that most know about.

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Also called Ferry Wharf, Bhaucha Dhakka is a wharf along the creek of Thane on the eastern seafront of Mumbai, where every day numerous ships load, unload and dock, and several ferries transport people and goods to the nearing island and beach villages. It is also a famous shooting location for many Bollywood movies, especially when the script requires an old Mumbai charm to be recreated.

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The place gets busy even before dawn cracks. You will find the place filled with friendly fishermen folks, who are believed to be the original inhabitants of the island city Mumbai, as they empty their daily catch. One can get the freshest of the fish here for great value.

Thousands of fish varying in all possible shapes, sizes and varieties can be found here, that you may possibly have never known about or seen before. Heaps and heaps of fresh catch allows you to choose from an unimaginably wide range. We bet not all of you must have seen a 6 ft long fish!

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On the long platform of the dock, a small shade is put up. One can sip on the ginger tea and munch on some light breakfast after wading through heaps of fish and people busy with the tedious fish shopping. Right outside the dock, numerous fish markets are set up every day. Hordes of people, buyers, and sellers fill up the place right from 6 AM. Another place where fishing boats and ferries dock is the Sassoon Dock in Colaba. However, the Mazgaon Dock has remained in the limelight for years together.

Getting There
You can board a cab or ride a bus till Dockyard Road. Travelling in a local train to reach the Ferry Wharf will be an ultimate experience. Dockyard Road station on the Harbour Line is the closest station to reach Bhaucha Dhakka. From the Dockyard Road station, Bhaucha Dhakka is approximately 1 km.