Dhobi Dhobi Dhobi () is a caste group of India. Their traditional occupation was washing clothes, i.e. laundry. The word "dhobi" is derived from the Hindi word "dhona", which means to wash. Dhobis in various regions are likely to be of many different ethnic origins: their ancestors took the occupation of washing clothes, evolving over time into a distinct caste bound by rules of endogamy. Most Dhobis follow the customs and traditions of the region they live, so for example those in Karnataka speak Kannada, and in North India speak Hindi, while those in Maharashtra speak Marathi. The Dhobi rank themselves
Dhobi known as gotras, are the Ayodhyabas, Belwar, Mathur, Jaiswar, Jaiswal, Belwar, Yadava & Chauhans from Ajmer in Rajasthan, practice hypergamy, with clans of lower status giving girls in marriage to those of higher status, but not receiving girls. They speak various dialects of Hindi, such as Khari boli, Awadhi Bhojpuri and Braj Bhasha. The Dhobi are still involved in their traditional occupation of washing clothes. Traditionally, the community would wash clothes for particular families, and would receive grain and services from them. But with the growth of the cash economy, most Dhobi are now paid money for their services. A