06 July,2026 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Atul Kamble
Despite the heavy rain, workers continue restoration around the Lady of Progress atop the central dome of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
Demonstrations of skills by artist (right) Gold Medal Winner Chetan Pashilkar paints at 18th Foundation Day of Sarthak Educational Trust. pics courtesy/Sarthak Educational Trust
From coding and photography to bakery, hospitality, tailoring, painting, design and other vocational trades, India's finest para-skilled talents are preparing for the 11th International Abilympics in Finland in 2027. The National Abilympic Association of India hopes to field its biggest-ever contingent, competing across 25 to 27 skill categories, nearly double India's previous participation.
Dr Jitender Aggarwal
"We are hoping to win around 20 medals this time," said Dr Jitender Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Sarthak Educational Trust. Calling for a shift in perspective, he added, "Don't measure disabilities; measure abilities." The global competition will celebrate professional excellence, proving that skill defines potential.
Pic courtesy/@taylorswift
The Mumbai rains aside, the weekend was all about Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce who tied the knot on July 4. While it was a private ceremony, the internet celebrated almost as enthusiastically as the guests.
Fans swooned over a rainbow that appeared over New York, imagining Swift writing her own vows after "spending her life putting love into words", and anxiously waiting for the first official photos.
Not everyone was impressed, though. One viral post by American author Peachy Keenan, mocked the couple for choosing a sweltering July day in Manhattan, while another joked about the new fear of falling asleep before Swift shared her wedding pictures.
Suhas Vyas and Vocalist Suhas Vyas at previous performance. Pics courtesy/Grace Foundation
Time holds meaning in Hindustani music, said Pandit Suhas Vyas. The veteran Hindustani vocalist will provide proof of it with his performance of six rarely heard morning ragas at the GRACE Foundation's Morning Ragas series concerts at Ravindra Natya Mandir next week. The inaugural concert on July 12 will feature ragas like Dev Gandhar, Dugam Hindol, Varathi Todi, and Ahir Lalat. "With most concerts conducted in the evening, the chances of performing these ragas are few and far between. The Ahir Lalat is a combination of Ahir Bhairav and Lalat. It was first brought to the vocal range by my father, the late Padma Bhushan CR Vyas," he shared.
Udit Parashar (right, in yellow) along with other storytellers at previous session. Pic courtesy/Udit Parashar
The monsoon's beauty, longing and struggles will come alive through stories and poetry at the seventh chapter of Urdu Evenings, titled Barsaat, on July 11 at Kitaabghar Reading Room in Andheri. The session will feature readings from writers including Saadat Hasan Manto, and Intizar Hussain. "For some, the rains are a celebration, while for others they bring hardship. We have stories about longing, desire, destruction, and also the beauty that comes alive with the monsoon," said actor and storyteller Udit Parashar. "We hope people discover that Urdu isn't intimidating and leave wanting to pick up a book," he added.
