<h2>Fly High, Free Bird</h2>
The setting sun adds a touch of poetic drama to a kite&rsquo;s evening flight over the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/photo/in-photos-sunshine-breaks-through-clouds-over-mumbai-skyline-112004/1" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Mumbai skyline</a> and the Arabian Sea
<h2>Sikkim preps for a glow-up</h2>
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Mamang-Dai_1791123521_s.jpg" alt="Mamang Dai and Ranjit Hoskote" width="1280" height="720" /> Mamang Dai and Ranjit Hoskote
After a stellar debut, the Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival (SALF) is now set for its second run from October 28 to 30. An initiative of Hon&rsquo;ble Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay), the festival will bring together writers, poets, and cultural practitioners. This diarist spotted a few familiar names including Mumbai-voice Ranjit Hoskote who will join Mamang Dai in a conversation with Guru T Ladakhi about poetry, memory, and lived experience. Of course, the ever-present William Dalrymple is on the list as well, alongside Stephen Alter among others.
<h2>Word-bloom in Shillong</h2>
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Shillong-Wards_1791123551_s.jpg" alt="A view of Ward&rsquo;s Lake in Shillong" width="1280" height="720" /> A view of Ward&rsquo;s Lake in Shillong
AS beautiful as the cherry blossoms in Shillong are, there will be more for visitors to catch in the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/things-to-do/article/weekend-getaways-around-mumbai-19619160" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">scenic destination</a> this November. The sixth Shillong Literary Festival will open doors on the banks of Ward&rsquo;s Lake. For the edition from November 12 to 14, the festival has launched a new initiative titled First Bloom: Discovering new writing from the North East, which seeks to encourage emerging fiction and narrative non-fiction writers from the region. Having visited their Delhi event earlier this year, this diarist hopes Naseeruddin Shah (below) might make a visit. It would only add to a line-up that includes Kanishka Gupta, Mitra Phukan and Lalnunsanga Ralte.
<h2>From music to MMA</h2>
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Shantanu-Pujari_1791123583_s.jpg" alt="Shantanu Pujari spars during a session. Pic Courtesy/@shantanu_shakahari" width="1280" height="720" /> Shantanu Pujari spars during a session. Pic Courtesy/@shantanu_shakahari
It was the one and only Muhammad Ali who likened fighting to dancing. But someone from Mumbai is making quite a similar journey. Once a B-boyer, 31-year-old Shantanu Pujari now spends time sparring in the ring with fellow Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters. While working as senior Artist and Repertoire for the hip-hop label Gully Gang, the Andheri resident has also built up a career as a fighter. Come November, Pujari will represent the city inside the ring in the upcoming Indian Fighting League (IFL) in Chennai. &ldquo;My other target is the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/urvashi-singh-wins-two-wbc-titles-in-colombo-23257973" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">WBC national belt </a>in pro-Muay Thai championship coming up in December,&rdquo; he told this diarist.
<h2>Mind matters the most</h2>
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Mooskan-Shah_1791123636_s.jpg" alt="An art therapy session" width="1280" height="720" /> An art therapy session
What if a mental health event felt less like a therapy session and more like a community hangout? On October 10, Mooskan Mental Health and Well-being, with Kripa Foundation, will aim to recreate a similar vibe at Bandra&rsquo;s Mount Carmel Church complex.
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Hariman-Dhanjal_1791123709_s.jpg" alt="Hariman Dhanjal" /> Hariman Dhanjal
Participants can try art therapy or sound healing, unwind with animal-assisted therapy or simply find someone to listen to. It will also feature a panel on substance use, guided meditation, dance movement therapy and an open mic.
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Drawing_1791123743_s.jpg" alt="Letters designed with colour therapy. Pics Courtesy/Kripa Foundation" /> Letters designed with colour therapy. Pics Courtesy/Kripa Foundation
They can also join a 2K run from Carter Road, followed by a yoga session. &ldquo;This is like a small get-together for anybody who supports mental health. It is more than therapy,&rdquo; said Hariman Dhanjal, head of Kripa Foundation.
<h2>Some thecha for Churchgate?</h2>
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Rizwan-Amlani_1791123766_s.jpg" alt="Rizwan Amlani" width="1280" height="720" /> Rizwan Amlani
While there are enough Irani restaurants and caf&eacute;s, offering the hurried officer-goers a cuppa in Churchgate, last weekend, restaurateur Rizwan Amlani took to social media with a relevant question. &ldquo;Churchgate needs a serious Maharashtrian restaurant. The neighbourhood serves food from everywhere. Its own state&rsquo;s cooking still has no proper home,&rdquo; he wrote. Amlani wasn&rsquo;t alone. Fellow restaurateur, and The Maratha Kitchen founder, Abhishek Tulaskar echoed his sentiment. We&rsquo;ll be keeping tabs in case a spicy something actually stirs this delicious idea.

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