It’s that time of the year, when @bombayana brings out the report card for her favourite city, and raises a toast to its champions, torchbearers, the movers and shakers who kept the Maximum City at the top of their minds
Byculla station. File Pic
>> Global Spotlight award: Kudos to CSMVS and Byculla railway station, and their caretakers and restorers, for ensuring that their conservation against the odds [read: challenges emerging from the pandemic and ensuing lockdown] didn’t deter the effort to earn a nod from UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in some truly prestigious categories.
>> New Awakening award: That the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, an institution that had once seemed daunting, and approachable only for research scholars and students, has opened its doors to the lay junta, calls for much joy. While they’ve been at it for some time, the itinerary has truly picked up and has been catering to all kinds of
curious souls, from foodies to cartography nerds.
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>> Comeback award: It’s our weak point, this one. The city’s bookstores received some much-needed resuscitation, and more importantly, TLC, thanks to Bombaywallahs who supported them, and how, post the pandemic. The existing ones like Kitabkhana and Trilogy are back on everyone’s radar, and we got a welcome return, in the form of a redesigned, spiffy-looking Crossword at the same address in Kemps Corner, a second outlet of Title Waves, and the classy White Crow Books and Coffee in BKC. We’d love to see more bookstores open, and more reading rooms for public access across age groups. A little birdie tells us that the city might also have another literature festival. You’ll have to read our bumper January 2 edition for more on that bit of news!
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>> Small is big award: We loved that the city’s intimate performing arts and weekend venues for markets and gigs continued to thrive despite the odds. From Adagio to Habitat and Verandah, they all
gave us much to cheer and be grateful for, in a city that is starved of venues. Towards the end of the year, old favourite, the Bandra fort amphitheatre also brought joy by hosting, none other than the big daddy of live acts—Symphony Orchestra of India. More of it, please!
>> Cool adda award: With IF.BE. emerging as a new space for F&B as well as the art and culture events, we like the sound of the whole package. That it’s all happening in a once-forgotten heritage neighbourhood, Ballard Estate, brings a smile to our face. Here’s hoping they don’t take their foot off the pedal, and egg others to follow suit, by protecting spaces, retaining their original essence and giving citizens newer addresses to plan their cultural itineraries.
>> Most Popular Selfie Point award: Though we aren’t exactly fans of the idea, the response has been overwhelming at the spot that gives selfie-lovers a vantage view of both the BMC and CSMT buildings.
>> Lage Raho award: Now, this one was uncontested, hands down. First, it was their amazing resilience to run services during the height of the pandemic. And now, they continue with their splendid run. The BEST needs a standing ovation for ensuring that Bombay’s commute-weary folk had so much to be grateful for, with their consistency and conscious effort to ensure that the ‘passenger always came first’.
>> Green guardians award: A loud, full-throated shoutout to all those individuals and groups who worked relentlessly to ensure that the Metro car-shed was moved out of Aarey. The blood, sweat and tears that were shed to ensure their voices were heard, didn’t go to waste. We can breathe a bit, yes.
>> Fighting spirit award: The Koli community for fighting tooth and nail to ensure that the powers that be behind the Coastal Road Project relent, and tweak markers for this contentious infrastructure project that impacts their home and their livelihood.
>> Jaldi Five award: The award goes to our civic gods who worked a miracle by clearing and cleaning the city in five...wait, under five days, to have it all polished and ready, in time for delegates from the G20 countries. Citizens had never witnessed such a miraculous turnaround and watched in disbelief as some of their neighbourhoods got the ‘white’wash of their lives.
>> Person of the year: It will have to be the resilient Bombaywallah who stood up to the usual barrage of challenges and hurdles, from the pandemic, to the unforgiving rain patterns, auto and taxi strikes, road repairs, local train issues, messed up pavements, shaky infrastructure and unfulfilled promises by local corporators.
Here’s wishing that 2023 be a kinder and safer year for all of us.
mid-day’s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city’s sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana
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