Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

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

Out of the blue

A duo riding the waves on a jet ski create a dramatic silhouette on a cloudy day at Juhu Beach.

In a nostalgic Indian fusion mood

A moment from the 2024 welcome parade at IIT Bombay. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

After a futuristic extravaganza last year, IIT Bombay’s flagship cultural festival Mood Indigo will flip the switch this year for a nostalgia-driven experience. The institute recently revealed the theme — Enigma of Ethnicity — for the 2024 edition that begins on December 24 at the Powai campus. “We wanted to take a walk down memory lane while also catering to the new batch of Gen-Z students. The idea this year is to have elements that remind millennials of a simpler time, but with a modern twist,” shared core member Anushka Khowala (below). Like every year, our eyes are on the ingenious décor and installations put together by the students. “We have been brainstorming for ideas. Expect glimpses of traditional festive pandals, retro movies, and songs. We’re going heavy on the frills and embroidery in the décor this year,” Sharvari Dhote, ambience head, told us.  

Anushka Khowala

Sounds of jazz come together

Cuban saxophonist Alvaro Benavides

The Mumbai Jazz Festival arrives in the city on December 7, and will feature artistes from Colombia, Estonia, and Czechia who will share the stage with Indian musicians. “It took us over a year to reach out to all of them since many of them are from countries you would often not connect with jazz,” said Edison Prithviraj, founder of Exodus Entertainment, the organisation behind the festival. Artistes will bring their own cultural influences to the music, creating a distinctive experience. “For instance, Lonitseera from Estonia is a rare band that blends traditional Estonian vocals in the jazz form and Alvaro Benavides is one of the foremost flautists and saxophonists of Cuba and has re-established Latin American music on the continent,” he concluded.

Jazz collective Lonitseera from Estonia feature in the diverse line-up. Pics Courtesy/Youtube

Pushing padel in Kandivli

Players in action during a match at the new padel court in Kandivli

Kandivli’s foodies have a new spot to sweat those extra calories out. A new padel court located near Growel’s Mall in the Akurli area will save beginners and athletes the long drive to existing courts in Bandra and Andheri. “I picked up padel two years ago. The dearth of courts in the Malad-Kandivli-Borivli belt was shocking,” shared founder Utkarsh Goyal. For the uninitiated, padel is a hybrid between tennis and squash, played on an artificial court fitted with glass walls on either ends. “Padel is an excellent sport for those looking for something more challenging than pickleball, but easier than lawn tennis,” Goyal informed this diarist. To enquire about training, contact 9136406844.

A treat from the East Indians

The 2025 edition of the East Indian Calendar by the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat will bring out some delicious secrets from EI home kitchens across the city. “Our cuisine features some distinct flavours and techniques that have started fading away with time. The special section in the calendar will feature many such recipes that have been forgotten over time,” shared member Zenobia Gracias, who fondly remembers the piping hot variyas and pork sorpotel (inset) from her family kitchen. With the calendar set to release later this month, keepers of such culinary secrets can write to @eastindiancalendar@gmail.com at the earliest.

Evergreen in our memories

Members of the community plant trees in the Miyawaki forest; (right) Ratan Tata. File pic

This Sunday, late Ratan Tata’s legacy will be remembered by Vasaikars for generations to come with the inauguration of a new Miyawaki forest in the Suncity neighbourhood in Vasai West. Spread across 10,000 square feet, the Sir Ratan Tata Urban Forest will form a part of an ongoing greening initiative that is estimated to conclude in 2026. “Because we reached the halfway mark with 5,000 trees recently, we deemed it fitting to dedicate the milestone to Mr Tata, who believed in leaving a better world for future generations,” explained Sanjay Vaishnav, founder of Nanhe Haath Foundation, the team behind the green initiative. The inaugural day will also feature an educational walkthrough of the forest that hosts peepul, banyan, sapota and mango trees.

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