02 November,2024 07:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Aditi Haralkar
A tiger at the Mumbai Zoo takes a drinks break as the maximum temperature touched 33°C on Friday.
Being a first-time voter can leave you with more questions than answers. Leading up to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections later this month, Dahisar-based illustrator Sefi George's (inset) new zine commissioned by the District Administration of Chandrapur answers all these questions and more. Right from the impact of a single vote to an in-depth explanation of the voting process, the nine-panel zine promises to be a handy guidebook before you get inked. "The idea behind presenting it as a conversational story is to appeal to the youth that makes up a large percentage of the voters," shared George, who previously worked with the Chandrapur Forest Department for a wildlife-themed zine. While the complete zine is available for viewing at @summer_scribbles on Instagram, any recreations or physical distributions must seek permission from the administration by writing to chandrapur.rdc@gmail.com.
Keep an eye out for Pikachu in a desi girl avatar if you're stepping out to play Pokémon GO this week. At a Diwali party in Lower Parel earlier this week, Niantic Inc (creators of Pokémon GO) revealed festive Pikachus clad in bright pink sarees and blue kurtas. Players can spot the saree-clad pocket monster in the game till November 4. "We wanted to treat our loyal and sizeable audience in India to a Diwali surprise. We hope our players enjoy this token of appreciation," shared Aral Lobo, community lead at Niantic Inc.
A few things can bring Bandra's busy bees to a halt like a couple of ghosts walking through Bandstand, Pali Hill and Chimbai Jetty. Author Shormistha Mukherjee and filmmaker Huzefa Roowala donned their white bedsheets and funky sunglasses to give the suburb an eerie surprise on Thursday night as part of an annual Halloween tradition. "Passers-by were definitely spooked; especially at the Bandstand promenade, where we were surrounded by curious walkers and excited children. I didn't realise just how large the crowd was until I took the glasses off. You could say we were equally spooked," Mukherjee revealed.
The festival of Diwali is for everyone. On October 31, the Kalyan-based group Paw Diaries celebrated Diwali and Kukur Tihar, the Nepali festival celebrating dogs. "When people burst firecrackers, stray animals usually end up dealing with the repercussions. We wanted it to be a happy Diwali for the indies of Kalyan. We went out and garlanded dogs in the area with flowers and did a quick photo shoot," founder Tanishi Masand told this diarist.
Even the most notorious pranksters need a short Diwali break. Content creators Sandesh Agate and Mohit Kajarekar, whom you'd usually spot pulling a quick prank on the streets of Dadar, stepped out to distribute sweets among blue-collar workers in the neighbourhood. "While we complain about our late Diwali bonuses, there are people who have never received due acknowledgement and appreciation. That is exactly why we picked up 12 boxes of mithai and set out to find our undervalued heroes. The smile that it brought on their faces was our Diwali bonus," Agate told this diarist.
