Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Always by our side: Statues installed to pay tribute to frontline workers watch over daily commuters outside Malad police chowki. Pic/Sameer Markande

Call of the Andamans

Pooja Gupta, a multimedia artist, has launched a new collection dedicated to the sea and its people. Titled Marine Geometric Beasts, the collection is inspired by the fauna of the Andaman Islands, where Gupta first began her work in ecology and wildlife conservation. "I have been working on this collection for the past five years. Ever since I left the islands in 2015, I was eager to devise ways of contributing to the Andaman Karen community," she told us. The growing popularity of the Andaman Islands as a tourist hub has led to the community being pushed back to their villages, which has affected their sustenance, she added. All proceeds from the sales of the collection will be directed to Saw John Aung Thong, a community leader who manages several local initiatives. Check it out at @poojaslaboratory on Instagram.

Ferry furry friends

While taxi services often object to ferrying pets for vet visits, Pet Patch Taxi is here to save the day. Founders Kanan Modi and Denise Tully D'Silva created this service to help rescuers and pet-parents. "Pet parents can use it as a taxi, while those who want to send rescued animals to the vet can use it as a temperature-controlled ambulance", says Modi. Call 8007774097 to book.

Riding low

After nearly a year of inactivity, early 2021 saw the Amateur Riders' Club at Mahalaxmi Racecourse host the polo season with renewed gusto. However, with the second wave, the club has shut down, yet again. "We have been caring for over 150 horses and 125 grooms since March 2020 without a single positive case so far. The horses' diets have been altered and arrangements have been made for their medical needs. We are concerned about whether they [and the riders] will be fit enough to compete when the season finally resumes," said its president Shyam Mehta.

Mum's the word

Culinary group Food Konnect, recently announced three winners for their Mum's Special Recipe Contest, to honour recipes handed down through generations. It was judged by Yvonne Miranda, owner of Snyder's Bistro. "We wanted to do something different for Mother's Day, so we asked participants to share a recipe by their mums that was special to them," said David Vaz, its founder. "I shared a story from 15 years ago where, at my baby shower, I was missing my mother's tomato rasam. When she arrived, despite all the other delicious food on offer, I savoured her nostalgic rasam preparation," explained one of the contest winners, Yamini Kundetkar.

Farewell, ma'am

A tribute to Dr Sushama Joglekar by Rahul Chemburkar

Some teachers go beyond textbooks to disseminate valuable life lessons. Dr Sushama Joglekar, professor, Sir JJ College of Architecture, who passed away earlier this week, was one such mentor who was one of the longest-serving architecture teachers at the institution. Architect Rahul Chemburkar told this diarist that he had the privilege of being her student twice, once in 1990, and then again, a few years ago when he enrolled for his masters. "We remember her room on the first floor of the new building. It feels odd that we'll not see her there again. She was an inspiration," he shared about the teacher, known for her love for architectural geometry and origami.