<h2>Bappa&rsquo;s coming home</h2>
Two men wheel idols of Lord Ganesha and the<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/culture/article/ganesh-chaturthi-2025-mumbaikars-welcome-ganpati-bappa-with-devotion-and-cultural-fervour-23591327" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> Goddess in Malad</a> ahead of Ganeshotsav, which begins on September 14.
<h2>Mould-ing the artisans</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Dot-line-space-kids_e.jpg" alt="Students from schools in Odisha learn about clay techniques and iconography. Pics courtesy/DLSAF archive" width="1280" height="720" /> Students from schools in Odisha learn about clay techniques and iconography. Pics courtesy/DLSAF archive
For generations, traditional potters have shaped clay into objects of beauty, culture and everyday life. To help preserve this craft in Banpur, Balugaon, Khordha district in Odisha, the Traditional Potter, Terracotta &amp; Clay Empowerment Project by Dot Line Space Art Foundation, under their initiative Shores of Serenity, is conducting workshops for government school students, ceramic glazing and wheel-throwing masterclasses, and design innovation programmes pairing potters with students.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Gourmoni-Das_e.jpg" alt="Gourmoni Das" width="1280" height="720" /> Gourmoni Das
Gourmoni Das, founder and director of Dot Line Space Art Foundation, said, &ldquo;Our aim is to ensure <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/culture/photo/national-handmade-day-celebrate-the-traditional-handmade-crafts-of-different-states-of-india-100119" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">traditional craft</a> evolves without losing its roots by creating opportunities for artisans to learn, collaborate and access new markets.&rdquo;
<h2>Vada Pav-wow in NYC</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Central-Park_e.jpg" alt="People gather during a previous Vada Pav sale at the Central Park in New York City. Pics courtesy/The Vada Pav Project" width="1280" height="720" /> People gather during a previous Vada Pav sale at the Central Park in New York City. Pics courtesy/The Vada Pav Project
Dear readers, we come bearing Mumbai-flavoured news from New York. Recently, the air in Manhattan was filled with the aroma of one of the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/mumbai-food/article/mumbai-food-and-bar-scene-thrived-in-2025-with-regional-flavours-clean-eating-and-community-spirit-23609469" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">city&rsquo;s favourite street snacks.</a>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Shaunak-Kulkarni_e.jpg" alt="Shaunak Kulkarni" width="1280" height="720" /> Shaunak Kulkarni
The Vadapav Project, founded by Shaunak Kulkarni and Shivangi Desai, gave this food competition a distinctly desi twist by hosting one of the first vada pav eating contests at Central Park on July 18.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Vada-pav_e.jpg" alt="Vada pavs stole the show at Central Park" width="1280" height="720" /> Vada pavs stole the show at Central Park
The event drew enthusiastic participants, all eager to put their appetites to the test. According to Kulkarni, one of the founders of The Vadapav Project, who shared details on Instagram, the rules were simple: Participants had 15 minutes on the clock, and whoever consumed the most vada pavs was crowned the winner, taking home goodies including desi snacks and a lifetime of free vada pavs. Those who missed the contest are encouraged to stay in the loop for the next edition on @thevadapavproject.
<h2>Ode to Tyeb Mehta</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Tyeb-Mehta-art_e.jpg" alt="Mahisasura, acrylic on canvas, 1997. Pics courtesy/Tyeb Mehta Foundation" width="1280" height="720" /> Mahisasura, acrylic on canvas, 1997. Pics courtesy/Tyeb Mehta Foundation
The life and times of pioneering modernist painter Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009) will find a new home in the pages of a new eponymous title, Tyeb Mehta (Mapin Publishers). Among the stellar list of contributors are the late Gieve Patel, and eminent poet Ashok Vajpeyi.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Tyeb-Mehta_e.jpg" alt="Tyeb Mehta" width="1280" height="720" /> Tyeb Mehta
Set for a release that coincides with Mehta&rsquo;s birth anniversary on July 26, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in New Delhi will play host to a retrospective of his illustrious life, from growing up in the lanes near Mumbai&rsquo;s Crawford Market, to taking Indian modern art to the world.
<h2>Into the web-verse</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Spider-Man-a_e.jpg" alt="Amburle demonstates the web shooters. Pics courtesy/@NEERAV aMBURLE" width="1280" height="720" /> Amburle demonstates the web shooters. Pics courtesy/@NEERAV AMBURLE
As Mary Jane asked Peter Parker to crawl, to prove he was Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home, every fan has probably wondered what it would be like to own a web shooter. While crawling on walls may remain a fantasy, the gadget itself no longer is. Neerav Amburle, aka @neerav_skywalker_, a costume maker, cosplayer and innovator, has made that possible.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Web-shooters_e.jpg" alt="A 3D print of the webshooters" width="1280" height="720" /> A 3D print of the webshooters
When this diarist asked him about the making of the device, Amburle said, &ldquo;Being a huge Spider-Man fan, and coincidentally an engineer, the process was easy. I took references online and, with the help of Fusion 360, 3D-printed it, spray-painted it, and then sanded it to complete the project.&rdquo;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Neerav-Amburle_e.jpg" alt="Neerav Amburle" width="1280" height="720" /> Neerav Amburle
This diarist couldn&rsquo;t resist asking him which Spidey he preferred. After giving it some thought, Amburle said, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a tie between Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland although Tobey Maguire brings a certain charm to the table.&rdquo;

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