<h2>Pals and paws at the park</h2>
An indie joins senior citizens during their evening catch-up at <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/strong-winds-uproot-trees-near-shivaji-park-in-dadar-workers-trapped-at-construction-site-23638726" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Shivaji Park in Dadar</a>
<h2>Bappa&rsquo;s family trip</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/sep/Ganpati-express_e.jpg" alt="The Konkan Kanya Express-themed decor at Shiv Krupa Mitra Mandal in Malad. Pic courtesy/Mitali Patel" width="1280" height="720" /> The Konkan Kanya Express-themed decor at Shiv Krupa Mitra Mandal in Malad. Pic courtesy/Mitali Patel
If you cannot go to <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/ganesh-chaturthi-2026-maharashtra-govt-announces-toll-free-travel-to-konkan-for-devotees-during-ganeshotsav-2026-23649009" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Konkan for Ganeshotsav</a>, bring Konkan to Mumbai. Or at least that&rsquo;s what the Shiv Krupa Mitra Mandal in Malad East seems to have done. Their Ganeshotsav pandal captures the train journey of a family travelling for the festival on the Konkan Kanya Express, except that this family is Bappa&rsquo;s very own.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/sep/Mitali_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;Our trip to Konkan last year inspired us. We designed it as a compartment of the train with the Goddess Parvati and Ganesha on a makeshift jhoola in the train, while Nandiji and Lord Shiva occupy berths,&rdquo; shared Mitali Patel (left), &nbsp;a member &nbsp;of the mandal.
<h2>Farewell, Queen of Lavani</h2>
If there is one name that feels inseparable from Lavani, it is Shakuntala Nagarkar. Unfortunately, the 66-year-old, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award-winning performer passed away on September 22, after a long-standing battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy that extends far beyond her performances, and into the lives of those who knew her.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/sep/Shakuntala-1_e.jpg" alt="Sambhaji Sasane with Shakuntala Nagarkar" width="1280" height="720" /> Sambhaji Sasane with Shakuntala Nagarkar
While Nagarkar was revered as the torchbearer of the dance form, those close to her remember the warmth that existed beyond the spotlight. Speaking to this diarist, Bhushan Korgaonkar recalled, &ldquo;Apart from being the queen of Lavani, she was a really fun person to hang out with. One of my favourite memories would be when she complimented an old Gujarati hotel owner about his gulab jamuns. All of us were laughing as he was embarrassed and laughing at the same time.&rdquo;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/sep/Shakuntala-2_e.jpg" alt="Geetanjali Kulkarni, Shakuntalabai Nagarkar, Akshay Malvankar, Pushpa Satarkar and Gauri Manjarekar during a shoot" width="1280" height="720" /> Geetanjali Kulkarni, Shakuntalabai Nagarkar, Akshay Malvankar, Pushpa Satarkar and Gauri Manjarekar during a shoot
That camaraderie was also what <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/things-to-do/article/immerse-in-this-festival-that-uniquely-celebrates-lavani-and-shakuntala-nagarkar-23645109" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Love and Lavani</a> actor Sambhaji Sasane cherished. &ldquo;Whether it was rehearsal or us on stage, she had a charm. She wasn&rsquo;t a legend, or came across as unapproachable; she was a woman true to her roots. She began at a young age, and experienced hell before reaching great heights,&rdquo; he said, recalling her name for him, &ldquo;Chaptya Nakacha&rdquo; (Marathi: flat-nosed boy).
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/sep/Shakuntala-3_e.jpg" alt="Nagarkar in performance. Pics courtesy/B Spot Productions, Sambhaji Sasane" width="1280" height="720" /> Nagarkar in performance. Pics courtesy/B Spot Productions, Sambhaji Sasane
For Lavani artiste Gauri Manjarekar, Nagarkar was &ldquo;the light who guided us&rdquo;, while theatre actor Geetanjali Kulkarni hailed her resilience, &ldquo;She never let her health affect her, and will always be an inspiration to all folk artistes as her passing leaves an irreplaceable void in Lavani.&rdquo;
<h2>Chatter over Chutney</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/sep/Red-chutney_e.jpg" alt="Ranjaka Chutney from Karnataka. Pic courtesy/Rushina Mushaw-Ghildiyal" width="1280" height="720" />Ranjaka Chutney from Karnataka. Pic courtesy/Rushina Mushaw-Ghildiyal
This diarist was stumped to discover that there exists a day dedicated to chutneys &mdash; not just the usual but around 230 of them &mdash; and today is that day.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/sep/UK-chutney_e.jpg" alt="Nimbu Til Chutney from Uttarakhand" width="1280" height="720" /> Nimbu Til Chutney from Uttarakhand
Initiated by author and food consultant Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal (below) nearly a decade ago, to celebrate chutneys from across the world, this online webinar will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about the condiment.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/sep/Chutney-book_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;The session will include chefs and food icons like Ratna Thar, Reshma Mane, Vignesh Ramachandran and home cook, entrepreneur, and culinary storyteller Deepa Chauhan, explore chutneys from a nutritious angle, followed by the anatomy of a chutney through a restaurant perspective, and a cook-along, accompanied by trivia all related to chutney,&rdquo; said Munshaw-Ghildiyal. Check out @rushinamg for details.

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

Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pals and paws at the park

Bappa’s family trip

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