02 October,2024 07:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Rane Ashish
Buffaloes get respite from the heat as a caretaker splashes water on cattle in a farm in Aarey, Goregaon East.
Khadi Gram Udyog Bhandar on DN Road in Fort. File pic
For Gandhi Jayanti today, INTACH, Mumbai chapter, will invite Mumbaikars to get a glimpse of a project they have been working on for two years at Fort's heritage Khadi Bhandar (Gram Udyog Bhandar). "We are giving the Bhandar a revamp to create a platform within that will showcase various arts and crafts of the country," shared convenor Katyayani Agarwal, "Khadi Bhandar in Fort is the oldest and the largest branch.
Katyayani Agarwal
It is housed in a 110-year-old building. There is so much beauty and heritage." Once revamped, it will be used for cultural activities as well. "Tomorrow [October 2], we will share our plans, and welcome opinions as to how we can design the venue to better suit the purpose. We will begin with lighting a [ceremonial] lamp at 11 am," she revealed.
Girls play a football match at a previous tournament in Govandi
NGOs The Next Page in Govandi and Jeevan Dhara from Mankhurd have joined hands to host a football tournament for enthusiasts in the Under-15 category. The matches will begin today to mark Gandhi Jayanti and Daan Utsav. A total of 15 teams (120 children) will participate, including teams from other NGOs like Vision Rescue, and Janjagruti Vidyarthi Sangh. "The idea is to spread joy among the children through sports and bring positive change in our community," Anoop Parik, founder of The Next Page, told this diarist.
Beatboxer Sadhana Tawde attempts playing the north Australian instrument
Follow the beat of the drum, or in this case, the didgeridoo. An artistes' meet-up in Vikhroli last weekend featured a unique collaboration between a tarpa player and a local rapper, performing a beatbox routine with the didgeridoo, an indigenous instrument from the northern region of Australia. The didgeridoo was brought to the gathering by Elijah Emmanuel, a resident of Aarey who is a collector of world instruments. "I was intrigued and wanted to try my hand at it," said Manoj Dhinde, a tarpa player from Aarey Forest, adding "Since I've been playing the tarpa for years, I have experience with wind instruments. I found that the breathing technique required for both is quite similar, although sound-wise, the tarpa is a bit more melodious." Encouraged by Dhinde, beatboxer Sadhana Tawde also gave the instrument a try. "The spiral shape of the didgeridoo intimidated me at first, but once we got familiar with it, it was a lot of fun. As a beatboxer, I tried to blend the two and it came out sounding like a refined instrumental track." she told the diarist. Tawde used it to perform a live beatbox routine. "Trying an instrument from across the sea was fun," Dhinde concluded.
Hannes Erikshon Ahlstorm meets Mumbai's dabbawaalas
Cyclist Vijay Malhotra (below) has been on a mission for the past two weeks. He hosted Swedish journalism student Hannes Erikshon Ahlstorm to help him study the cycling culture of the city. "He chose cycling in Mumbai as his research project because he had read a lot about it online. He was here for two weeks, meeting up with various cycling communities, checking out bicycle stores, exploring heritage locations, as well as spending time with the Mumbai dabbawalas, who usually use bicycles to deliver tiffins across the city," Malhotra revealed. He recalled that Hannes was scared to ride across the city for the first time.
"He feared the heavy traffic. But I encouraged him to do it, and we rode slowly from Khar to Dadar. He shared that cycling in a mega city like ours was the most thrilling thing he had ever done," Malhotra chuckled.
An elephant documented by Anand Shinde in Tadoba
City-based elephant whisperer and conservationist Anand Shinde is now stepping into uncharted territory - trying to get humans to understand him. This Sunday, Shinde will join folk rock band Abhanga Repost to present a Bharud (a traditional storytelling art form) in Nagpur. "Simply discussing elephant conservation is not enough.
Shinde in a moment from his recent performance in Dadar. Pics Courtesy/Youtube
We wanted to present it in a way that sticks. Bharud is built upon witty one-liners, sarcasm and humour highlighting conversation," Shinde told this diarist in between juggling his conservation efforts in rural Kolhapur. Giving us a sneak peek, Shinde added, "For instance, the piece titled Gajar underlines the irony in how elephant sightings set off alarms in a village, while it's the human settlements that have actually encroached into the animals' habitat."
