The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
Gauri is in the details
A shopper browses through figurines of Gauri at a shop in Lalbaug leading up to Gauri Pooja celebrations
National recognition for the EI lugra
A photograph featuring the lugra in (right) the new book. PICS COURTESY/SAVITHA SURI, STYLING MY HANDLOOM
In an acknowledgment that textile experts would call long overdue, city-based textile heritage chronicler Savitha Suri (below) — who has worked extensively on the East Indian (EI) lugra — has been featured in a dedicated chapter of a new textile tome titled Styling My Handloom. Published jointly by NIFT Mumbai and the Union Ministry of Textiles, the book chronicles the efforts of 15 individuals who have worked on lesser-known textiles from the subcontinent. “The book was put together by Neena Lokare of NIFT, who follows my work on social media. When she reached out to me, I realised it was a great opportunity to put the lugra on the national textile map, simply because there is such little discourse about Mumbai’s indigenous textile,” Suri shared of her association with the project.
The book is the third major initiative undertaken by the Union Ministry of Textiles this year, with a view to preserve indigenous weaves — the first was the Kunj Store in Delhi that features curated retail spaces, exhibitions, live craft demonstrations and workshops. The second was The Quest for the Sacred Cloth, a comic book on heritage weaves by stylist Prasad Bidappa. “These are great outreach initiatives to draw the layperson into the conversation. What makes the book especially important is that it spotlights virtually unknown weaves, including the Patti Kinar technique from Nagpur. Simple cotton weaves receiving an equal platform as the very rich brocades of India is crucial in the broader context of conservation — these are the weaves of the common man that often slip through the cracks, even as conservation efforts focus on heirloom fabrics favoured by erstwhile royalty and aristocrats,” Suri explained.
Music to Bappa’s ears
Mayur Jumani (left) records a dhol in Andheri. PIC COURTESY/MAYUR JUMANI
Andheri-based musician Mayur Jumani is taking no days off this festive season. Armed with a hand-held microphone, Jumani stepped into the heart of the action at a Ganpati pandal in Andheri East earlier this week to record his new song, Sounds of Ganpati. “I recorded the dhols, the cheers, the ambience — everything that makes this festival so special. The idea was to piece together a song using the individual elements,” Jumani shared. Popular television personality Shiv Thakare soon hopped onto the idea with a seemingly ambitious video idea, we learnt. “We asked the dhol players if we could try our hands at the drums for the video. It was a big ask, given the sentimental value attached to the instruments. But they were more than happy to let us in on the fun,” a cheery Jumani revealed to this diarist. To watch the video, log on to @mayurjumani on Instagram.
mid-day sunshine in Vikhroli
(Left) Rajendra B Aklekar (extreme left) presents the trophy to students; (above) the June 4 2025 mid-day report on the new East-West connecter bridge
Rail historian, newsman and author’ as his new trophy reads, or deputy city editor Rajendra B Aklekar for our loyal readers, has a new feather in his cap. The Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS) in Vikhroli felicitated Aklekar last Sunday for his relentless reportage on an erstwhile dangerous level crossing in the area. Earlier this year in June, the opening of the long overdue Vikhroli Road Over Bridge (ROB) put an end to the local residents’ woes. In a report dated June 4, a former member of BCS (Vikhroli unit), had recalled how an illegal food stall had been hampering progress. “After mid-day reported the issue, it was removed. We thank mid-day for keeping the pressure on,” he had said. The felicitation coincided with a gathering of bright young minds who had performed exceptionally in their 10th and 12th grade exams. “I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of achievers in the neighbourhood. I’m thankful for the recognition,” Aklekar acknowledged.
Good Samaritan on autopilot
Sufiyan Shaikh in his autorickshaw
This diarist recently witnessed a wholesome incident on their daily commute to work that restored some much-needed hope in the famed spirit of Mumbai. While travelling in a shared autorickshaw, a family of three, including a face mask-sporting child had boarded the vehicle who eventually alighted at Gurunanak Hospital, Bandra East. Surprisingly, the driver refused to charge the family. Curiosity got the better of this diarist, and upon enquiring, he simply pointed towards the child wearing the mask and said, “He’s a patient, and I don’t charge patients travelling to hospitals.” Sufiyan Shaikh, while revealing his name, also shared how his mother once faced delays reaching a hospital a few years ago. “It was her instruction that I never charge a patient needing to go to the hospital. I follow her advice no matter what part of the city I am in,” Shaikh told this diarist, hoping to offer some respite to those in need one ride at a time.
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