Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Uday Devrukhkar

Knot in a hurry

A couple prepares to get married at Bandra family court on Tuesday. Pic/Uday Devrukhkar

Haldi, healthy and wise

Turmeric is on top of the spice charts during the pandemic. Sister Mudita Sodder, who belongs to the Society of the Sacred Heart and resides at Sophia College in Breach Candy, has been busy tending to her little garden during the lockdown. She had planted haldi (turmeric) and is now enjoying the fruits (or should we say, roots?) of her labour, by drinking turmeric milk, claimed by many experts as a healthy option to keep one's immunity in good shape.

The haldi, Sr Sodder said, is grown by, "planting a piece of turmeric in a pot with good earth. Once the leaves turn yellow and dry, you take them out by their roots. The roots are the clusters of turmeric. The harvest takes about six months, the time it takes to mature." Sodder, who has studied a course in the relatively unknown stream of eco- spirituality, reminded this diarist, "We can all do our little bit for Mother Earth, and she gives us so much in return."

Capturing Raza over decades

SH Raza. Pics courtesy/The Arts Trust; (right) SH Raza, Climat, acrylic on canvas, 1974

From growing up in a village in Madhya Pradesh to becoming one of India's foremost modernist painters, SH Raza's journey has not only inspired the art community, but also found expression in his own works. An ongoing online exhibition by Kala Ghoda-based The Arts Trust provides viewers a glimpse into this journey.

Titled Raza - Rendezvous: A selection of works from 1940-2000, it comprises nearly 100 of the artist's masterpieces spanning over six decades, right from his early expressionist works, to his focus on the motif of the ‘bindu', shared Siddanth Shetty, vice president, The Arts Trust. "Curating the exhibition has been an immersive experience. Raza is an inspiration and his evolution as an artist was eventful. We hope to make the audience aware of his shifting styles and the masterpieces he created through the various phases," he said. Log on to theartstrust.com to view the exhibit.

A helping hand

Singer Ananya Birla has had a busy year so far. She released a new track during the pandemic, and is now launching the Ananya Birla Foundation. It will provide grants to support various causes including mental health, financial inclusion, and climate change.

Starting in October, it will set up a community mental health programme in rural India. About her goal, Birla shared, "I want the foundation to help as many people as possible, and do all we can to make the world a happier, kinder place."

What a spread!

From Thai treats and gourmet experiments with pao to dastarkh-wan-style fare and regional beverages, a new initiative by seven friends from the hospitality industry - Sabir Shaikh, John Macedonius Fernandes, Dave Malhotra, Narendra Nayak, Suriya Preechapiputpong, Kunal Malhotra and Pragnesh Rai (in pic) - is bringing seven new brands to the city.

Rai, also the owner of SamBar, shared that with delivery being the norm of the day, they came up with the concept about 15 days ago. "There's Thaiphoon, which serves food from Thailand as one of our partner's wife hails from there; Sabir Bhai's, which will serve authentic Muslim fare prepared by a khansama; Out of Pao; and Missus Sippi, a beverage brand," he said, adding they are part of Septagon Hospitality, operating out of a large cloud kitchen in Andheri. Three more brands are on their way. Gear up, foodies.

A cake jam

Friends gathering around to sing Happy Birthday while you blow the candles is a warm, joyful feeling. But considering your friends might not be able to make it to your place in the current scenario, a singing cake might be their best bet. Tasheen Rahimtoola, founder of Taste Retreat, which curates gift ideas and celebrations, in collaboration with home baker Shreya Gupta, has launched a range of customised interactive cakes. Much like a QR code, a barcode is incorporated on the cake as icing.

Once you scan it using the Spotify app, the music starts to play. "We work closely with our vendors to keep coming up with new, unique and exciting offerings every week. We felt that the blend of food and music seemed like the perfect combination for an extra special culinary experience. When placing an order, select your cake sponge flavour, the buttercream colour, your favourite song on Spotify, and we'll do the rest," she shared.

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