Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Bipin Kokate

Safety comes first

The otherwise packed Lalbaughcha Raja pandal respected Covid protocol and discouraged crowds as seen here on Saturday.

Gender meets art

Goethe-Institut Bangalore's Gender Bender festival, in collaboration with arts collective Sandbox, is back this year for their 2021 edition. This time, the festival is set to be held entirely on a virtual platform. To kick off the plan, they're inviting submissions from artists, focusing on themes around the concept that gender is art itself. "We've been doing this in collaboration with the Sandbox Collective for seven years. It's our attempt to let artists give new interpretations about the topic of gender, in the broad definition of the term. We will select 10 to 12 grantees from across the country. People usually apply to us with projects they think would offer a fresh perspective to the topic of gender. We give these individuals a trigger grant to help them get a start," said cultural director Maureen Gonsalves (in pic).

A British salaam for Mumbai

Pic Courtesy/Twitter

British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, has been touring the country, and is currently experiencing the city like a true blue Mumbaikar. In a recently posted video of his trip, Ellis shared how he spoke politics, education, climate change and business with policy makers and entrepreneurs. He also dipped his feet into the culture of the city, meeting our dabbawalas, grabbing a vada pav every now and then, and greeting Bappa. We enjoyed how his social media updates have been accompanied by very Bambaiya phrases like ‘lai bhari', ‘kasa kai Mumbai', and finally, a resonant ‘Ganpati Bappa morya'. Now that's a ‘jhakaas' itinerary.

All things rice for Bappa

As Mumbai celebrates its favourite festival by bringing home idols of Ganesha, for the past 55 years, Bombay High Court solicitor Rajan Jayakar has been following a different tradition - one that has been passed down in his family for generations. Every year, Jayakar creates his own Ganesha, made with rice grains, as opposed to an idol, which is not considered auspicious for his family, he revealed.

"I took on this tradition from my father in 1964. Before that, he had been handed down this tradition from my grandfather, who must've learnt it from his forefathers," he explained. As per the tradition, the quantity of rice to be used for the Ganesha and the mouse is very specific - one tippri (a unit of measurement), a fistful and three pinches. "It takes me one and a half hours to two hours to complete the Ganesha. The best part is it's completely eco-friendly," he shared.

Fuel up at Pedder Road

Pedder Road's popular New Kampala Service Station is offering fuel, and fodder. The gas station is now home to a new vegetarian convenience store and take-away joint, Gourmet To Go. Set up by co-founder and sourcing head Priyal Shah, the space will offer all-day breakfast bowls, Indian bowls and Asian bowls, appetisers, freshly-brewed coffee, other beverages and desserts. We're told that there'll also be something for vegans, those with glucose and lactose intolerance, as well as those who prefer Jain preparations. "There weren't enough eateries in the neighbourhood that offered healthy yet indulgent meals. So, we decided to bridge this gap by offering clean, fresh meals, snacks and other items from mostly homegrown brands," Shah told this diarist.

Baking good times in Colaba

In the early months of the first lockdown, when restaurants were still hoping the pandemic would be a brief, bad dream, Mag St Bread Co by restaurateurs Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf was one of the first ventures to start delivery. The bakery was a lifesaver, remembered Devidayal. Over a year on, it is set to get a dedicated retail space in the form of Mag St Cafe, an all-day diner which opens doors this month. Devidayal revealed that the cafe will occupy the same space as the now-shuttered Miss T and Mei 13, in Colaba. "Mei 13 opened in March 2020 for only 10 days. As three of our main chefs had to return overseas, there was uncertainty. Instead of waiting endlessly, we decided to focus on something more local." The diner's centred on comfort food, and being conscious and community-driven, she shared, adding that they'd like to tap into the locality's history, heritage and culture.