31 July,2026 08:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Shadab Khan
The Bombay Gymkhana glows with soft lights on a rainy evening in Fort
Gary Mehigan (second from right) with owner Siddhant Rakshe (left) at the Parel eatery; (below) Kothimbir Vadi. Pics courtesy/SIDDHANT RAKSHE
Masterchief Australia-fame celebrity judge and chef Gary Mehigan seems to have developed a golden-brown soft corner for Maharashtrian snacks. We learnt that Mehigan sat down for a meal at Parel's Ladu Samrat earlier this week, on a local tour guide's recommendation.
"We laid out a spread including Aluwadi, Ukadiche Modak, Sabudana Vadas, and other signature dishes. The Kothimbir Vadi piqued his curiosity with its crisp outer layer and soft filling. Thalipeeth came in a close second. From the shade of the chai, to the texture of our modaks, he was eager to know how every tiny detail comes to life," owner Siddhant Rakshe shared with us. Any delicious plans in the pipeline, chef?
The fish-friendly Ganesha is made using Shadu
What if your Ganesha idol could give back to marine life? Sea...err... see it for yourself with ecologist Anand Pendharkar's fish-friendly idols. Made from Shadu (an eco-friendly clay), they carry a ball of vegetarian fish food like spinach, that disintegrates once immersed. "Research shows that papier-mâché is not as harmless as we once believed. They leave behind mesh-like traps in the sea. Even with Shadu clay idols, the synthetic paint that people tend to use contain heavy metals," Pendharkar told this diarist. Created in collaboration with artisans from his hometown Devrukh, the idols are painted in Mumbai using natural colours such as sandalwood. Each idol takes shape over a period of 10 days, the ecologist revealed. Those keen to book their eco-friendly Bappa can call 9320782810.
The tiger's outline is adorned with timely messages. PIC COURTESY/NISARG CLUB
The new academic year at Mira Road's Royal College is already off to a roaring start. On International Tiger Day (July 29), third-year Bachelor of Science student Khadija Shaikh of the Nisarg Nature Club set up a large outline of a Royal Bengal Tiger, which was filled in with messages of hope by students. "Save the stripes that paint our forests with life," wrote a student, while another reminded us, "Let future generations inherit roars, not regrets." Associate professor and convenor of the club, Radhika D'souza, told this diarist, "Teaching from books can only go so far. This activity has sparked a renewed interest in wildlife conservation among our pupils."
In polarising times, Sarnath Banerjee (below) and professor Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali Zamindar's (right) next title, When We Are Strangers (Penguin Random House), turns to fiction and visual storytelling to redefine our ideas of freedom, heritage, and reparations.
Released today, the graphic novel is set amidst the Khudai Khidmatgar Movement, and employs Banerjee's stark illustrations to highlight Zamindar's story about two young protagonists' unlikely mission to restore a stolen museum relic.
