Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Watch me jump

A man plays with a dog on Juhu beach.

And the hills come alive

A view of the ongoing quarrying at the Kharghar hills

Development cannot come at the cost of nature. BN Kumar, director, NatConnect Foundation, hosted a two-day festival in the hilly terrains of Kharghar last weekend. In association with the Kharghar Wetlands and Hills Forum and Anubhuti Endeavours, the festival spoke against quarrying activities. "The rich biodiversity of Kharghar Hills has been under attack since long. It takes thousands of years to form a range and just a decade to raze it - something that indiscriminate urban development is responsible for," Kumar noted. For young participants, there was a chance to go plogging and attend photo exhibitions to gauge why such efforts matter.

Raising a toast

(From left) Co-founders Abhishek Honawar, Sumit Gambhir and Pankil Shah

Burger-beer joint Woodside Inn in Colaba turned 15 over the weekend. Raising a toast to the occasion, its director and co-founder Sumit Gambhir shared with us how the friendly bar was inspired by the neighbourhood of Colaba. "We were roused by its heritage buildings and the charming locality. The architecture of our Colaba outpost stays honest to the 110-year legacy of the building." About the lessons learnt over the years, he said it's best to take care of the basics and not overcomplicate things. "I am excited about new additions to our cocktail menu. We are working on day-centric ideas wherein our menu will focus on local ingredients," he said.

Also read: Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

A step towards self-reliance

Locally sourced rainbow trout roe. Pic Courtesy/Ekaa

Soon, chefs and food connoisseurs will be able to buy indigenous fish roe from Fort-based restaurant Ekaa. After six months of coordination and knowledge-sharing, the ingredient-forward restaurant has been able to locally source rainbow trout roe from Kashmir with help from the central Department of Fisheries. Niyati Rao, head chef and partner, confirmed the news. "It's been extremely difficult to source it. We were already getting the trout; so I felt the roe can also be produced in Kashmir's trout farms. These are a sustainable model for the Kashmiri community. I want to make the country proud and self-sufficient, and help it reach a point where we don't need to source such ingredients from Japan or California." She revealed that the roe will feature on their third tasting menu, which will be called Inspirations, Icons and Milestones. A long-term collaboration with their supplier will ensure roe is available for retail at Ekaa, too.

Art of the matter

Commissioned by St+art, the Sassoon Dock Painting by Clemens Behr uses found materials. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

Do you woefully look at bubble wraps and plastic bags that - despite your efforts - keep piling up in the store-room? St+art India, a platform dedicated to urban regeneration through art, is in need of that pile. They are collecting plastic to create a public art installation that will be launched in January, 2023. The installation hopes to encourage dialogue about urban consumption patterns with Mumbaikars. If you think you can help them reach their goal of stacking up 20,000 bags, drop off your supplies at the Sassoon Dock Clock Tower till December 25.

The South Indian history tour

(From left) Raghu Palat, Madhav Murthy and Pushpa Palat at the Bangalore Literature Festival

Two books that throw light on the overlooked history of South India - The Case that Shook the Empire (2019) and Destiny's Child (2022) - by city-based chroniclers Pushpa and Raghu Palat are now being translated into Malayalam by DC Books, and will be available next year. Raghu shared, "We read about the Guptas, the Mauryans, the Mughals and the Marathas, but very little is known about South Indian history." Pushpa added that they are delighted to have them translated and receive a wider readership.