The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
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Visitors explore the recently restored Bandra Fort amidst the interplay of light and shadows
A royal tribute
A panel depicts the Maharaj’s encounter with Shaista Khan
On Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birth anniversary today, illustrator Pranjali Anaji Chavan (below) pieced together an ingenious ‘zoom art’ illustration that tells the Maharaj’s story from birth to his coronation as king in Raigad, including a few stories that might give you flashbacks to your history class in school.
“Since the artwork is layered and one continuous piece, I had been working on it tirelessly for nearly three weeks. The tribute is extremely close to my heart,” Chavan shared. To view the artwork in motion, log on to @pranj_jelly on Instagram.
Finding Lord Brabourne
Lord Brabourne’s tomb is located in the churchyard of St John’s Church in Kolkata
For most Mumbai cricket fans, visits to Wankhede and CCI-Brabourne stadiums usually make it to bucket lists as soon as they begin to enjoy the game. While this diarist, also a history nerd, was lucky to report and watch matches in both venues, there was always the curiosity to learn about the individuals behind the stadiums. With SK Wankhede, it was easier to access information, given the recent vintage of the stadium. However, with Brabourne, we’ve been on the lookout for more beyond the fact that he was a former Governor of Bombay. He was also the Governor of Calcutta, and his full name was Michael Herbert Rudolf Knatchbull, 5th Baron Brabourne. These facts emerged on a recent visit to Kolkata’s stunning St John’s Church, the city’s oldest Anglican church, where he lies buried in its churchyard. When Brabourne was Bombay’s Governor, he laid the foundation stone of the famed cricket stadium in 1936. He later served as Governor of Calcutta until 1939, when he died. He was also acting Viceroy of India for four months when Lord Linlithgow (then Viceroy) visited England on a short break. It was satisfying to join the dots at his well-preserved memorial; a fitting tribute to a key figure in our colonial history.
A brush with Sri Lanka
The wall mural painted by the group of artists in Colombo
City-based artist and activist Rohini Bhadarge is bringing back a story of epic proportions from her recent trip to Sri Lanka. As part of Lankan group Fearless Collective’s 2025 Ambassador Residency Programme, Bhadarge undertook a 50-ft-tall mural project on the walls of Rio Cinema in Colombo in the company of artists from Iran, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The group’s two-week-long efforts came to fruition yesterday when the mural was revealed for viewing. “We spent our initial days here interacting with leaders of local communities where we learned of contemporary issues, including violence against trans and queer individuals. The murals depict portraits of the fearless activists that we interacted with,” Bhadarge shared over a call from Colombo.
Are you listening, Mr Trump?
Arrow worm
I don’t think that plastic is going to affect the sharks very much as they’re munching their way through the ocean,” US President Donald Trump claimed in his address last week.
Sahir Doshi and Donald Trump
“The sharks might be munching, but so are smaller species like Mumbai’s fragile arrow worms who mistake plastic for prey. It eventually makes its way up the food chain to bigger fish and human consumption,” explained nature educator Sahir Doshi (inset), who has released a video response to Trump’s claims on his Instagram page (@sahirdoshi). The long-term repercussions are scarier, he added. Plastic can make its way to marine birds, flora, tidepools, and even your domestic water supply. Enough for us to say, “Stop the count!”
She’s on a record-hop
Bhumika Nemade sets the new national record in Nashik
If you thought skipping was child’s play, Bhumika Nemade’s feats might make you eat humble pie. The Dombivli-resident set a National Record by clocking 95 right foot taps in 30 seconds at the National Jump Rope Championship in Nashik last weekend. In doing so, Nemade broke her own record set in 2022. “I am elated that I could break my own record. I have been practising two-three hours every day leading up to the competition,” the 14-year-old told this diarist.
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