13 October,2024 07:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
A woman carries a child as while crossing an under-construction railway track near Mahim station.
For India, and especially Mumbai, a local train is like goddess Laxmi," shared Pankhil Nagda, who celebrated Dussehra with 45 commute friends by decorating the 8.49 am Ambernath to CSMT local train. "We are a community of friends who take the same train daily. We have been practising this ritual on Dussehra for four years now," Nagda, who works as an electronics store manager in Lamington Road, shared. The group started the day early to buy festive decor material like balloons, garlands, festoons, flowers, and even food including sweets to distribute among fellow commuters. "In India, people have been decorating trains on Dussehra since before Independence. The attempt is to keep the tradition alive in Mumbai," he revealed.
Cleanliness is next to godliness. In an attempt to make the country litter-literate, artist Omkar Dhareshwar's art intervention invites Bollywood stars onto the streets of Marol. "Because for the common man, Bollywood stars are like gods," he reasoned. The first attempt of the intervention is a sunburn cut-out featuring Munna Bhai and Circuit. "It is installed at Ashok Bridge, a route I take daily. Every day, the BMC cleans this area, but by the end of the day, it turns into a dumping ground again," he revealed. What infuriates him is that dustbins are stationed right across this littered spot. "Many people stick photos of Gods and deities on the wall so people don't spit on it. I thought of using famous characters from movies to make hard-hitting memes that force people to throw litter in dustbins," he shared. He collaborated with brother, Soham Dhareshwar and community Dream Marol. "We are waiting to see the response. We fear that someone will damage or steal it from the spot. If it stays intact for three days, we will go ahead with this mission across Marol," he revealed.
Byculla's Nine Fish Art Gallery's exhibition Symbols of Care and Nurturing will draw to a close today. Showcasing works by nine women artists, the exhibition had a starry visit, courtesy actor Aditya Roy Kapur last Friday. "My idea was to showcase a blend of the obvious and abstract forms of care and nurture," said curator Geeta Nallani. The exhibition delves into protection and nurturing through a female lens, featuring mediums such as print markers and textiles. Kapur was intrigued by artist Nisha Dhinwa's woodcuts and etchings that emphasised the life cycle of nature.
Over the weekend, the Peruvian Consulate hosted Quechua Pop (Q-Pop) artiste Lenin Tamayo at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Nariman Point. Tamayo is known for blending traditional Andean music with modern musical influences. Stopping in the city as a part of his cultural tour in Asia, Tamayo told this diarist, "Q-Pop is a platform that allows me to merge my Andean roots without being distant from globalisation."
A plaque honouring Dadasaheb Rege, educator and founder of Balmohan Vidyamandir, was inaugurated at the school in Shivaji Park last weekend. His grandson, Guruprasad Rege, trustee and director, highlighted Dadasaheb's vision of creating âa temple of knowledge' in 1940 with just eight students and four teachers. Rege emphasised, "He has created such an environment that today, we believe that same environment is more important than actual schooling."
