Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Phooling aroundA troop of Bonnet Macaques have a field day playing with fresh flowers at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in BorivaliIn the Dalai Lamarsquos wordsNatasha Sharma cofounder of the Govandi Arts Festival is reflecting on a special meeting in Dharamsala before her flight back home when we reach out to her Earlier this week Sharma met the 14th Dalai Lama at The Office of His Holiness in Dharamsala as part of the 202627 batch of the Dalai Lama Fellowship ldquoThere is an inexplicable energy and warmth around him You forget what you want to ask of him and simply soak in the momentrdquo she recalledNatasha Sharma meets the 14th Dalai Lama at The Office of His Holiness in Dharamsala PIC COURTESYNATASHA SHARMAThe 90yearold spiritual leader who has limited his public appearances shared a few words of wisdom with the group Sharma who listened to a translation by scholar Thupten Jinpa intently as she held the Dalai Lamarsquos hand recalled his advice ldquoLove and compassion are the most important factors and we all have it in us naturallyIn Buddhism there is an understanding of taking this seed of compassion and cultivating it The attainment of enlightenment can only happen through this cultivation If you want to see peace in the world you must appreciate these valuesrdquo Sharma now returns with a vision to establish a studio to continue her work in the arts community engagement and public spacesArt for a Nobel causeThe Billionaires for Peace conclave at a Bandra fivestar on Thursday saw a wealth of knowledge exchange thanks to a decorated guestlist Invitees to the private event by the I Am Peacekeeper Movement included former President of India Ram Nath Kovind who was joined by five global Nobel laureates including Indiarsquos Kailash SatyarthiArtworks on display at the exhibition PIC COURTESYARTURA SPACESWe learnt that the power of art was on full display at a special exhibition by citybased Artura Spaces ldquoKeeping with the theme we presented artworks on seven themes Gratitude humility patience truth forgiveness love and givingRam Nath Kovind and Kailash Satyarthi PICS COURTESYWIKIMEDIA COMMONSEach artist was invited to showcase a single human emotion A 68 per cent share of the sales will go towards funding lifesaving surgeries through a leading hospital chainrdquo curator Prachi Kapoor revealed to this diaristIndiarsquos 1983 World Cupwinning team face lsquochargesrsquoTHERE is a restaurant bill that is amusing cricket fans over the last two days If the receipt is to be believed members of the 1983 Indian cricket team ran up a pound76440 bill at The Grosvenor Hotel in Londonrsquos Park Lane to celebrate their World Cup win on the night of June 25The viral pound76440 bill at The Grosvenor Hotel was deemed fake by former India cricketer Kirti AzadOur inhouse cricket nut admits that he was tricked too with this bill emerging suddenly He remembered Sandeep Patil telling him how he and Ravi Shastri travelled in a little car to a fish and chips outlet at Piccadilly Circus to fill their hungry tummies By Thursday morning Kirti Azad had deemed the receipt as fakeldquoThis is fake It is all over social media We stayed at Westmoreland Hotel next to Lordrsquos Cricket Ground London After the victory on June 25 1983 celebrations took place all night till morning of June 26th We never went to this hotel The signature of Kapil Dev is also forgedrdquo wrote Azad on XBy the way this is what the Indian cricketers were lsquochargedrsquo for6 Moet amp Chandon Brut Imperial pound180004 Ballantinersquos Scotch Whisky bottles pound72007 Heineken Beer Pitchers pound49003 Glenfiddich Malt 12 Yrs bottles pound90002 Black amp White Scotch bottles pound26004 Grilled Chicken Platters pound56003 Mutton Rogan Josh pound39004 Sirloin Steak Dinners pound68006 Club Sandwich Platters pound38002 Prawn Cocktail pound16004 Dessert Selection pound240018 CoffeeLate Night Coffee pound18002 Ashtrays pound4003 Dunhill Cigarettes Carton pound2400Service Charge 1037 pound6040Total pound764 40