The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Auto Pilot: A boy takes his toy car on a spin on the road less travelled — the rooftop of his house in Vidyavihar. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Celebrating heritage weaves
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Shabana Azmi and Sachin Tendulkar at yesterday‘s event. Pic/Shadab Khan
From muga silk of Assam to Chanderi of Madhya Pradesh, India is a storehouse of rich, intricate handloom weaves. Showcasing the diversity of the country’s textiles, as well as our skilled artisans, is a curated exhibition on view at Taj Land’s End. The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between Khazana, the luxury lifestyle store by Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and Antaran, Tata Trust’s craft-based livelihood programme. The exhibit was inaugurated by actor Shabana Azmi and former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar yesterday. It features handpicked masterpieces created using traditional weaves of Odisha, Assam, Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh. “The expression of the partnership is a handpicked collection of traditional masterpieces made from muga and eri silk of Assam, loin-loom textiles of Nagaland, ikat and fine tussar silk of Odisha, and the jamdani zari technique of Venkatagiri from Andhra Pradesh,” shared Faisal Momen, vice-president, Khazana.
Through the kaleidoscope
Author Deepa Agarwal’s work has mostly been focussed on children’s writing, but she admitted to this diarist that sometimes, there are certain feelings that are best expressed through poetry. The Delhi-based writer has thus been jotting down poems for years in notebooks here and there, some of which have now found their way into her second poetry anthology, Forgotten Kaleidoscopes. “It includes poems on women’s issues, childhood, cityscapes, writing and my memories, among other themes. Some of the poems are very personal and nostalgic,” she shared. The title is influenced by the age-old custom of widows having to break their colourful glass bangles. “There’s also a connection with my father’s death, when my mother’s friend had suggested she break her glass bangles. That was a shock to me; the memory stayed with me. As a child, when I used to look at kaleidoscopes, I used to feel there were pieces of these bangles inside them,” she explained.
Art at the fore
A couple of months ago, we had written on this page about the launch of India’s first art and design newspaper, The Irregular Times. After a successful debut, they’re gearing up for their second edition that focuses on the theme of utopia. Accordingly, they’ve put out an open call for contributions from comic artists and writers for various sections of the newspaper. Editor-in-chief Tarini Sethi said, “At the end of the day, we want at least 25 per cent [of the content] to be reader-generated. A lot of people have asked us about how their work can be included — this seemed to be the most egalitarian way.” Submissions are being accepted until August 20. Email hello@irregularsalliance.com.
Freedom on their minds
What does freedom mean to young people? A report by dating app OkCupid indicated that 39 per cent of its users find financial freedom to be the most liberating, followed by the idea of travel (30 per cent), sexuality (22 per cent) and art (9 per cent). Around 73 per cent users admitted that they are independent individuals, who support themselves. Interestingly, when asked to choose between freedom and money, 65 per cent users opted for more freedom, while 35 per cent chose money. Moreover, when it comes to relationships, 73 per cent users said they want their own, independent bank accounts to enjoy financial freedom in a long-term relationship. We like.
Making therapy accessible
The Mood Space, an online counselling platform, is offering to help remove the financial barrier that many individuals face when seeking help for their mental health. To that end, they’ve rolled out financial aid options such as their Pay What You Can plan that lets people avail therapy for any amount they have at their disposal. “While the number of inquiries we received during the pandemic rose exponentially, we found that for a lot of people, finances are a major consideration when seeking therapy. With the help of such plans, they can approach us without any inhibitions and seek help from trained therapists who specialise in diverse concerns, including stress, trauma, and bereavement — no amount is too small. We also have other services for those who cannot afford to pay for therapy at all,” Vidhi Tamboli, its co-founder, told this diarist. To book a consultation, visit themoodspace.com.
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