The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
A tail of two friends
A little boy attempts to separate the leash of his pet dog from its tail while on a walk at Nariman Point.
Potters with persistence
Diwali is next month, and fittingly, this weekend, Mumbaikars have the opportunity to explore a corner that houses the artisans who sculpt earthen lamps which light our homes. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Greater Mumbai Chapter, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to preserving Indian cultural heritage, is hosting a heritage walk in Dharavi’s Kumbharwada. The locality, which is an industrial hotspot in Dharavi, has long been home to generations of migrant communities and families from Kutch, Gujarat who have brought the craft of pottery to Mumbai. “The walk will be led by Divya Chitroda, a member of the Kumbharwada pottery community. What visitors can expect is to see the hard labour that is put into pottery, and the techniques used,” Anita Yewale, co-convenor, INTACH Mumbai, told this diarist. “Eco-friendly techniques include allotting different times for firing, which is heating clay in the kiln, to avoid air pollution.” She added, “Currently, Kumbharwada faces prospects of being bought and so, the potters may be relocated, but without ease of access to the workspace here they have called home for long. It’s a continuous effort on their part, to preserve their history and heritage.”
Ready for a red rendezvous?
Bandra's Scarlett House has been making some heady renovations behind closed doors. A new 10-seater Red Room at the venue is now ready to host a monthly feature for classic cocktails. We’ve heard October will bring a martini menu featuring six versions drawing inspiration from Bandra’s streets. Fay Barretto, head of the beverage programme, said, “We want guests to discover just how many personalities a cocktail can have.”
Mentors always matter
A moment from a previous session. Pic Courtesy/Childreach
It is time to extend some care to teachers too. CHILDReach, a non-profit organisation for disabled children and slow learners, will conduct a seminar on October 4 at a venue in Dadar East, on mental health of teachers. “It focuses on how regular and special needs teachers can handle kids, parents, game-based learning, and classroom needs,” Rukhshana Sholapurwala, its president, told us.
Diaspora canvas
Ganesha, by Ramesh Gorjala. Pic Courtesy/India Art Festival
Over 3000 artworks will be displayed at the Mumbai Art Fair by India Art Festival from October 10 to 12, at Nehru Centre, Worli. Rajendra Patil, founder, India Art Festival, shared, “Nearly 250 artists and 15 galleries are featured. It’s an Indian diaspora exhibition, also including artists from other South Asian countries like Singapore.”
Farewell, Dr Armaity Desai
Dr Shernaz Cama; (right) Dr. Armaity Desai. Pics courtesy/@Parsi Zoroastrians Worldwide - The Hyderabadi Page
The passing of Dr Armaity Desai, former director of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC), on September 27 marks the end of an era that transcended education. “It is a loss to the country, and education,” Dr Shernaz Cama, director, UNESCO Parzor Project, shared with this diarist. Recalling her first meeting with Dr Desai as iconic, the director shared, “She was a fiercely independent woman. As an educator, she taught her students, and us teachers, to speak truth to power.”
While she was an intellectual giant nonpareil, the professor shared that Dr Desai was also a great hostess. “She loved her Parsi sarees and jewellery. She loved to host, and would invite us for tea often, serving her own innovations of Parsi dishes. Dr Desai had great compassion. It was this quality that set her apart,” she recalled.
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