Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Winging it

A seagull courts the blue waters near Gateway of India

Dance to the top

Mumbai dancers Elvis Mascarenhas and Namrata Wittke are home to a warm welcome. The kizomba and semba experts, who became the first Asians to win the Olympiad of Kizomba in 2022-end, are back in the city after touring Spain where they were invited to teach their moves. When this diarist caught up with the duo, they shared that the championship in Paris saw the best dancers from around the globe lock horns. The duo have been perfecting the Angolan dance form since 2014, and have also trained in New York. They were one of the first to start teaching it in India. "We got attracted to it because of the music. After years of hard work, we decided to compete. We were up against the Angolans in the authentic category," Wittke shared. Back in the city, the dancers-teachers hope to further their love for the form in its authentic avatar. "The Africans want to protect the form, so it's important to us that we spread the culture in the right way," she said. Cheers to that.

Also Read: Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Old is gold

The museum was awarded a gold medal at the London Fisheries Exhibition

February 15 holds a special place in the history of Mumbai and that of Dr Bhau Daji Lad (BDL) City Museum. In 1873, the day marked the first ever international exhibition of the museum. Going back in time, director Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, said, "The erstwhile V&A Bombay's grand new building had opened in 1872 at Byculla and was the ideal venue to host an exhibition of this scale. The museum had represented the country at international world fairs and won medals. The governor opened the exhibition and all the city's dignitaries were present. Gas lamps, which were a novelty then, were installed by the Bombay Gas Company so that the museum could stay open till late. The exhibition attracted huge crowds from across the city as the ticket rates were discounted. Special tram and train services were organised, and Wednesdays were reserved for women visitors."

Hit the buggy trail in Borivali National Park

A preserved leopard and wild boar model at SGNP's Taxidermy Centre. File pic

Can joint pain come in the way of a day out with your grandkids? The staff at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) wouldn't let that happen. Their Nature Interpretation Centre introduced a buggy tour to help visitors - across ages and abilities - access the wonders of the park. "Over the years we have observed how the elderly can't explore the area to their heart's content. Our differently-abled or pregnant visitors face difficulties in reaching locations on foot. Since cars and two-wheelers have been prohibited on the premises, we thought of using electrical vehicles to bridge the gap," shared range forest officer Santosh Kank. Visitors can hop onto the buggy and visit the Cat Orientation Centre, Taxidermy Centre, Orchidarium and other sights.

Finding Sweety

For 12 years, Sweety - a friendly stray - has romped about Fort sneaking biscuits from office-goers. But since early February, her human friends haven't seen her. Michelle Nandodkar, her caretaker, told this diarist, "The Lawrence & Mayo office, where I work, has been her home for a decade. Recently, we cut off half of her fur to apply a lotion. Sweety is mostly white with prominent brown and beige markings, and was last spotted in Khar, near 17th Road." Nandodkar hopes that city-dwellers will help her find the dog. In case of any leads, call 9920080006.

Sprouting tentacles

The green and orange tentacles atop Varde Villa. PIC COURTESY/@BANDRABUZZ

Bandra just got a touch of creative quirk. English artist Filthy Luker's signature tentacles have made an appearance in the neighbourhood. Sprouting from the top of Varde Villa, off the Turner Road junction, they make for an unusual sight. Known for their large inflatable designs that add surreal streaks to urban spaces, Luker's installation does lend a Lovecraftian touch to the queen of the suburbs. His artworks are also part of the ongoing Mumbai Urban Art Festival, and are certainly a nice break in the monotonous skyline.