Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Mumbai's heritage gets a canvas
Intach celebrated World Heritage Week (November 19-25) by giving the Mumbai Chapter plenty to look forward to.

FIRST PRIZE: Bandra Railway Station by Ashwin Tahiliani

Apart from heritage walks around parts of the city, sessions at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum, a Heritage Sketch Award was announced.

SECOND PRIZE: Western Railway Headquarters by Anju Mody

Of the 25 sketches that reached INTACH, architect Ashwin Tahiliani's sketch of the Bandra Railway Station bagged first prize. At second position was student Anju Mody who sketched the Western Railway Headquarters at Churchgate.

SPECIAL MENTION: Bhikha Behram Well by Ava Mistry

A special mention prize was also handed out to five-year-old heritage enthusiast Ava Mistry, who sent in a sketch of the Bhikha Behram Well.

Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Kids! You can try this in your kitchen
Popular TV personality Surjan Singh Jolly, aka Chef Jolly, flew down from Bengaluru to conduct a masterclass for children, where he taught them how to decorate cupcakes and rustle up sandwiches, as part of the launch of a loyalty programme by a Juhu five-star.

India calling on Mumbai
December means that slight nip in the air, and time to make the most of outdoor events that spring up across the city. Last weekend, Prabhadevi's Ravindra Natya Mandir complex was all decked up, tribal style, for an expo that saw craftsmen from different states selling assorted wares.

The Ravindra Natya Mandir complex hosted the expo last weekend

The expo showcased rare traditional apparel, accessories, and ethnic wear from across India. Held in the outdoors, it added to the festive atmosphere. The Warli paintings at the gate were a huge draw. The buzz created by artisans from Gujarat and Rajasthan was equally engaging.

A stall that sold toy archery sets (in wood) and household decor with peacock feathers was particularly eye-catching. The attendant told us, "We are from Dungarpur." We travelled back to a famous Mumbai resident, royalty in fact, who took his name from the area - late Raj Singh Dungarpur, the eloquent cricketer, also known as ‘Rajbhai.'

Ready for a killer thriller?
Film director, adman and author of several crime-fiction novels, Piyush Jha is ready with another novel. With titles like Mumbaistan, Compass Box Killer and Anti-Social Network under his belt, he's now out with another page-turner titled, Raakshas - India's No. 1 Serial Killer (Westland)

Piyush Jha

The press release says that it will be a thrilling narrative of a serial killer's life. The unusual and challenging investigation to catch him, uncovers a chilling trail of unspeakable torment and cruelty…' We wonder how this ‘deadly encounter' will unfold.

Palates for courses
After night races, the Mahalaxmi Race Course is back in the news with a ‘first-ever' family food extravaganza. Dubbed the Eat India Company Food Fest, the weekend event claims to offer a never-seen-before spread of culinary events, from souks and pop-ups to workshops and other curated activities for all ages.

Mahalaxmi Race Course to host a family food fest. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Packed with chefs and bakers, the weekend fiesta also lists a juggler, a flash mob, and Latin and Ballroom dancers in its itinerary. We wonder how this blends with the gastronomic spectacle at the race course. We'll leave the tasting for later.