Asia's largest auditorium, the monstrous 2750-seater Shanmukhananda Hall, stands majestically in the bylanes of Sion East. Ask any passerby, any paan wala and he’ll lead you right to its doors. Fifty years since the auditorium’s inauguration, the Shanmukhananda Hall is a Central suburb landmark. According to R Sridhar, a trustee and member of the Managing Committee at Sri Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha & Fine Arts, you’re not a true resident of Mumbai unless you’ve attended a concert at the Hall.

Hon. Secretary Amarnath Sury inside the auditorium of the prestigious Shanmukhananda Hall. Pic/Atul Kamble