Dhoble

Dhoble is a surname within the Sangar Maratha clan,^[1] found largely in Mumbai, India.

Dhoble & Co.

"Dhoble & Co" is a Dhoble family business established in 1895 by Dhondibasheth Dhoble. Dhoble & Co have been the leading fruit merchants in Mumbai for more than 100 years, specialising in Alphonso mangoes.

Dhondibasheth Dhoble founded "Dhoble & Co" in 1895 with very humble beginnings, selling fresh fruit. He grew his business rapidly and established the company's office and retail outlet at Mahatma Phule Market (earlier Crawford Market) in South Bombay, the heart of the city. Dhoble & Co rapidly acquired the reputation of being the No.1 merchants of best quality fresh fruit, especially the King of fruits, the Alphonso mango. Such was his reputation for quality, that not only was Dhondibasheth called upon to ship the famous Alphonso mangoes to England for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, but also he was invited to go to London be on the panel of official fruit selectors for the celebrations.

Dhondibasheth hailed from Khamgaon/ Manikdoh in Junnar Taluka, Pune district. Dhondibasheth, arguably, was one of the founders of the legendary Dhoble family, best known for their fruit business. He was known to be a man of strict principles and a keen business sense. After Dhondibasheth's demise in the 1927, the business was run by his son, Raghunathsheth Dhondiba Dhoble and some of his cousins (all Dhobles). Raghunathsheth was the first Indian to pioneer the export of Alphonso mangoes out of India in the 1950s. Several other exporters followed suit, but Dhoble & Co were distinguished by their unmatched quality and service.

Since 1997, Dhoble & Co has been run by Dhondibasheth's grandson, Vilas Dhoble and his wife, Nirmala Vilas Dhoble.^[2] As tradition had it, the women from the earlier generations of the Dhoble family were not even supposed to enter Crawford Market. If they needed to communicate with their menfolk, they would send messages via others or make a telephone call. Breaking all the norms, Nirmala Dhoble became the first lady from the Dhoble family to run the family business set up by her grandfather-in-law, shoulder to shoulder with her husband Vilas.

Today, Dhoble & Co are leading retailers and exporters of fresh fruit, especially Alphonso mangoes. To this day, Vilas and Nirmala Dhoble painstakingly use traditional methods to ripen Alphonso mangoes, meticulously avoiding chemicals that are otherwise rampantly used for the ripening of the prized Alphonso. They are as fastidious about the quality of their fruit as Dhondibasheth.

References

1. ^ Bombay (India : State) (1884). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Sholápur. Printed at the Government Central Press. pp. 137–. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZrYBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA137. Retrieved 29 May 2011. 
2. ^ Jonathan Allen (May 10, 2006). "Letter From Mumbai - Mango Mania in India - NYTimes.com". The New York Times (New York: NYTC). ISSN 0362-4331. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9502E5DB1630F933A25756C0A9609C8B63&scp=1&sq=dhoble%20&Co=&st=cse&pagewanted=2. Retrieved 20 May 2011.