25 August,2026 08:46 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Atul Kamble
Onam celebrations at a Nerul mall featured a nine-metre-long pookalam, along with other floral decor and performances.
Pic courtesy/@skoranne
Readers, every city has stories that rarely make it to the pages of a sharply compiled anthology. The City: An Anthology of New Indian Writing (Hammock Press) will bring together 10 such short stories and seven essays by authors including Saee Koranne-Khandekar, Shruti Sonal, Dilsher Dhillon and others, which will explore class, caste, gender, climate anxiety, renting and what progress means.
From "Gotta Catch 'Em All" to collecting art, Pokémon nostalgia is taking a new form in the city. With Pokémon TCG's 30th Celebration set to launch globally on September 16, graffiti artist Mooz Graffiti aka Raj Pathare is giving the franchise his own spin through skateboard decks. A Pokémon card collector himself, Pathare has created around six customised boards, each designed as a one-of-one collectible.
Raj Pathare, aka Mooze Graffiti, with the Pokémon skateboards (right) An image of Blastoise, a water-type Pokémon, and the final evolution of Squirtle. Pics courtesy/Mooz Graffiti
The excited artist told us, "As of now I have the Elementals series which features four decks inspired by earth, fire, water and space, with Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise and Mewtwo representing each theme." Our advice? Get your hands on one soon, as he said, "I won't repeat that design, so technically, you own a one-of-one piece - those are truly unique."
Nampally Ka Raja in Hyderabad
Is it just this diarist, or does the city wait till September for the air to feel more magical with the arrival of Ganeshotsav? Hyderabad also welcomes the festival with equal excitement. Swaranjali Brass Band, the Lalbaug-based troupe led by former Indian Navy trumpeter Mahesh Devlekar, travelled to Hyderabad on August 21 and 22 for the aagman of Nampally Ka Raja.
Mahesh Devlekar (centre, with trumpet) with other band members during the celebration. Pics courtesy/ Swaranjali Brass Band
Speaking about the crowd, Devlekar told this diarist, "People were equally excited for the festival as they are in Mumbai. We played songs like, Appadi Podu and many other classics, and to say that the crowd was energetic would be an understatement."
A dated photo of Avani Rai with Raghu Rai. Pics courtesy/artiste's Instagram
When we wrote of the passing of ace lensman Raghu Rai, the general consensus was that India's streets will miss their favourite observer. It seems that love is to be reborn in a conversation between the present and the past. The 2027 edition of the Pirelli Calendar will see Avani Rai crosshatch time by photographing the streets captured by her father, as they are today.
Like the late Rai's subjects, the calendar will focus on the Indian connection, with Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø training his lenses on some familiar faces. While Padma Lakshmi and Freida Pinto are among the familiar names, musician Anoushka Shankar (right) and poet Rupi Kaur (left) add to a diverse group that will be part of the shoot in Jaipur. Happy clicking, we say.
