<h2>Ganesha&rsquo;s tiny friend</h2>
An<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/culture/article/ganesh-chaturthi-2023-murtikars-in-dadar-mumbai-talk-about-complexities-of-idol-making-23309203" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> idol created by Dadar-based artist </a>Shreyas Surve ahead of Ganeshotsav depicts Bappa and Mooshak in an endearing moment
<h2>Local train Samaritan</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Narendra-Patil_e.jpg" alt="Narendra Patil (centre, in white) guides commuters at Dadar station. Pics courtesy/@_trainsofindia_" width="1280" height="720" /> Narendra Patil (centre, in white) guides commuters at Dadar station. Pics courtesy/@_trainsofindia_
The first time this diarist did a solo commute aboard a local train from Churchgate to Borivli, panic set in almost instantly. The maze of platforms, flashing indicators and fast-slow announcements felt impossible to decode, making one quietly wish for someone to point confused commuters in the right direction. More than a decade later, that wish appeared on the Instagram page, Trains of India, courtesy Narendra Patil, a Worli resident who voluntarily &nbsp;spends two hours every weekday helping commuters at <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-dadar-station-goes-digital-as-western-railway-commissions-siemens-electronic-interlocking-system-23630838" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dadar station</a>. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m here from 9.30 am to 11.30 am every weekday. Whether it&rsquo;s the Virar fast, Borivli slow, or Kalyan, I simply guide commuters as there is no indicator at this spot,&rdquo; said Patil.
<h2>French canvas for sketchers</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Sketchers_e.jpg" alt="A sketch of the Le Telegramme building in Toulouse, France. Pics courtesy/Zainab Tambawalla" width="1280" height="720" /> A sketch of the Le Telegramme building &nbsp;in Toulouse, France. Pics courtesy/Zainab Tambawalla
A drawing is simply a line going for a walk,&rdquo; said Swiss-German modernist artist Paul Klee. Illustrator Zainab Tambawalla recently lived out that idea at the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Toulouse, France, held from July 15 to 18, where close to 1,000 artists from across the world gathered for sketch walks, lectures, demonstrations and workshops. Selected to conduct a live demonstration, Tambawalla stayed on after the symposium to sketch her way through <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/emmanuel-macron-says-france-will-build-new-aircraft-carrier-by-2038-23608814" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">France</a>, returning with fresh inspiration and a cool box of liquid charcoal.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Zainab-Tambawalla_e.jpg" alt="Zainab Tambawalla (centre, in black) along with the other Indian artistes" width="1280" height="720" /> Zainab Tambawalla (centre, in black) along with the other Indian artistes
Recalling her trip to France and the symposium, Tambawalla said, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a wonderful space because you&rsquo;re surrounded by sketchers from different countries, each bringing their own style, perspective and stories. There are lectures, workshops, demos and sketch walks throughout the day, so you&rsquo;re constantly learning from one another. What stayed with me the most was how freely artists can sketch in museums and public spaces there. In India, even after obtaining permissions and following the rules, artists often face unnecessary restrictions.&rdquo;
<h2>Patience was served</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Terttulia_e.jpg" alt="Pic courtesy/rumani gabhare" width="1280" height="720" /> Pic courtesy/Rumani Gabhare
Good things come to those who wait. Great service shouldn&rsquo;t expect diners to hang on. On a mid-week evening, a popular restaurant-bar in Shivaji Park was abuzz, yet the kitchen held its own, sending out crisp onion rings, slightly overcooked potatoes and a satisfying pizza without missing a beat. The front of the house, however, couldn&rsquo;t keep pace. No amount of gesturing [above the trippy DJ-playlist] and hand-waving could draw the attention of its attendants to present us with our bill. Over 10 minutes later, it finally arrived. A small hiccup, sure, but we would&rsquo;ve liked promptness, so patrons leave talking about the food, and not the wait.
<h2>A licence to run</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Runners-a_e.jpg" alt="Participants run along the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway" width="1280" height="720" />Participants run along the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway
This diarist believes that most readers will agree why it&rsquo;s called a runner&rsquo;s high. And the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/things-to-do/article/ready-run-repeat-the-1010-run-challenge-returns-this-october-23599410" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bombay Running&rsquo;s</a> eighth Bombay Goa Chase delivered just that.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Runners_e.jpg" alt="Runners display the license plates after the run. pics courtesy/deepak oberoi" width="1280" height="720" /> Runners display the license plates after the run. Pics courtesy/Deepak Oberoi
Flagging off from Chembur on July 28, runners covered nearly 560 km to Goa, with heavy rain in Amboli forcing the event&rsquo;s first overnight halt before it concluded in 66 hours. Alongside the regular 12-runner relay team was the six-member &lsquo;Scrazy&rsquo; challenge, where each runner covered over 125 km.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Deepak-Oberoi_e.jpg" alt="Deepak Oberoi" width="1280" height="720" /> Deepak Oberoi
&ldquo;The run changes lives because runners earn their place after months of training. Everyone who finishes receives a personalised license plate, and we celebrate over drinks, sharing why we signed up and how the journey changed us,&rdquo; said Deepak Oberoi, co-founder of Bombay Running.

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Ganesha’s tiny friend

Local train Samaritan

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Home / Mumbai / Mumbai News / Article / Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier