Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Catching the sun

A woman climbs up a bamboo frame to hang fresh bombil for drying in the sun on Versova beach.

Spotted: Early days signage

The notice between Worli and Haji Ali

You know the marathon is close — very close — when you spot a signage warning people that roads will be closed on Sunday, which is the day when the Mumbai Marathon will take place. At a recent press conference, the police had reassured city-dwellers that they were ready for all challenges to ensure smooth conduct of the event. Major infrastructure projects that have narrowed roads are a major jitter factor this year. This diarist spotted this signpost, through the stretch from Glaxo, Worli, to Haji Ali as early as Friday itself. It is possibly the earliest in 18 years of this event that we’ve noticed this. Aamchi Mumbai is geared up and how.

Greening coming generations

Dr V Shubhalaxmi guides a trail at Taloja Hills

Community-maintained public spaces across the city remind this diarist of the driving force of a people that comes together for good. In the last three years, the watershed area of Taloja Hills in Kharghar saw efforts for reforestation overseen by iNaturewatch Foundation. After planting over 6,000 trees, the project is nearing its end. The next phase before exiting the Taloja Reforestation Project site includes training guides to conduct nature trails at Taloja Hill Forest. Founder of the organisation, Dr V Shubhalaxmi shared that nature trails will allow people to not just enjoy the area, but help them respect and appreciate it. “During the three years, volunteers from Kharghar helped execute aspects of the project. With the programme, this available community will be able to conduct nature trails since they have been designed for people from a non-science background but with a flair for teaching and an interest in nature,” she said.

Also Read: Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Trees being planted at the hills

Lata didi is beaming in Bandra

If you’re around Bandra Reclamation this weekend, make sure to peek out the window (unless you’re in the driver’s seat!) for a view of the Bollywood Art Project (BAP) team raised along the wall of the Bombay Art Society building working away at a mural of late Lata Mangeshkar. Founder, BAP, Ranjit Dahiya shared, “I was invited to paint for an initiative led by Assistant Municipal Commissioner [H-West ward] Vinayak Vispute, and so I proposed murals of Lata Mangeshkar and Sachin Tendulkar.” The latter, completed recently on the Durga Mata Society building, is India’s tallest mural at 230 feet.

Look who will rock Napa Valley 

Suryakant Sawhney, Karan Singh, Dhruv Bhola, Rohit Gupta and Kartik Sundareshan Pillai. Pic Courtesy/Nitish Kanjilal

BottleRock — the three-day annual music festival in California’s Napa Valley — is one of the most popular music carnivals of the world. The event that has already sold out its passes will feature the Delhi-based band, Peter Cat Recording Co. on its artiste line-up. Band member Suryakant Sawhney told this diarist, “It’s an amazing surprise to play at a festival of this scale for our first time in America. We’ve been receiving messages from our fans in America about how excited they are.” While we are chuffed about the development, we are also curious about a nugget that Sawhney slipped in: “We may have a few more announcements in store.”

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