The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Ashish Raje
Colour me proud
A spectator flaunts a tricolour face paint at the Republic Day parade on Veer Savarkar Road in Dadar.
All booked for the night
Readers at a previous event by the library. Pic Courtesy/Pundalik Pai
Parents, you’d do well to extend your child’s night curfew this weekend. In an effort to draw in younger readers, Dombivli’s Pai’s Friends Library will keep its doors open past midnight on January 31. “Teenagers clearly have time after 12 am. You’ll see them in shopping malls, theatres, and pubs. The initiative might spark the love for reading in these impressionable kids,” said owner Pundalik Pai. To that end, an outdoor library near the KDMC Office in Dombivli East will stay open long after most clubs in the city shutter for the night — Saturday 11 pm to Sunday 7 am. We’re told the books on sale range from writings of PL Deshpande to illustrated bedtime stories, all at a 30 per cent discount for the night.
Pundalik Pai
President’s nod for Indian calligraphy
Achyut Palav; (right) The calligraphy panels at the new Granth Kutir Hall. Pic Courtesy/Achyut Palav
The newly inaugurated Granth Kutir at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi has a Mumbai connect on its walls. Veteran calligrapher and Sir JJ Institute of Art alumnus Achyut Palav designed a red and gold calligraphy panel for the new hall inaugurated by President Draupadi Murmu last weekend. The panel features the words ‘We the people of India’ in 11 languages that have been granted classical language status in India — including Assamese, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. “The initiative of including Indian scripts in the hall equals a royal patronage given to the calligraphy art form. It will surely boost morale, and enthuse numerous artists working in the field,” Palav shared. While you’d have to make the trip to the national capital to catch a glimpse, the library’s collection of classic Indian manuscripts and books in Indian languages, can also be accessed online at rb.nic.in.
Linked to her roots
Akhila Banoth sports the saree featuring portraits of Linkin Park band members during Lollapalooza 2026 at Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Pic Courtesy/Akhila Banoth
We’d heard of Usha Uthup’s viral Skyfall in a saree, but nothing could have prepared us — or concert goers at Lollapalooza last weekend — for Linkin Park ‘on’ a saree. Navi Mumbai resident Akhila Banoth sported a drape featuring the band’s logo and stylised portraits of the original band members, including their late frontman Chester Bennington. “I was hoping to make it to the front of the crowd and get noticed by the band, but the enormous crowd made it next to impossible,” Banoth told us.
Mumbaikars played good sport, though. “I never expected all the attention. I became the centre of attention even before entering Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Everyone wanted to pose for a selfie with the saree, and know where it was from,” she revealed to this diarist. We’ll put an end to the avid fans’ growing curiosity — the saree is from a studio called Oikkyo Calcutta, which also stocks designs featuring The Beatles and Bob Marley. “I have been desperately trying to reach them, and thank the designer for making me go viral. I wish there was some way to get through,” she said. We’re hoping for a mid-day miracle.
Winging it in Marol
The new flamingo mural at Marol Art Village. Pics Courtesy/Srushti Bansode
Birders have a new location to sight flamingos this migration season. Graffiti artist Srushti Bansode has given a wall in Marol Art Village a colourful makeover to welcome the winged visitors. “If you look closely, I’ve reimagined the bird in multi-colour neon plumage for an urban, modern twist,” she told us. Considering the signature pink hue comes from a healthy diet of molluscs and algae, we hope the real visitors are nothing but pink this year. As for the colourful experiment, we’re all for it.
Srushti Bansode
Mavs won’t leave Bandra!
Patrons at the new space in Bandra. Pic Courtesy/Cafe Mavs; (right) Mavourneen Peters
Banderites were in for a gloomy January when Café Mavs announced it is closing doors. For 11 years, the venue has been home to little celebrations and friendly cuppas for Waroda Road regulars. Thankfully, the popular venue has now moved to a new space on the same street. “It was a hectic few months. After being on the lookout since November, we were delighted to find a spot right across the road,” shared Mavourneen Peters, owner and head chef. With a closely-knit community, and Christmas trees to light, Peters admitted leaving Pali Hill was out of question. With a larger space, she promised a larger menu in addition to the familiar seasonal fare. Fun times, foodies.
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