Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Pouring in a prayer

A man begins his day with Surya Arghya at Prabhadevi on Friday.

The show must go on

NCPA will re-open with a performance on February 3. Pic courtesy/Roshan M Dutt

It would be modest to say that in 2020 we witnessed a cultural drought. Come 2021, and things seem to be looking better, for the city's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) is finally re-opening its doors to the public next month. And it is indeed opening with a bang - a concert by the SOI Chamber Orchestra featuring classics with a hint of Bollywood's golden era. There are also recitals by promising artistes in Hindustani classic music to look forward to, as well as dance, plays, screenings and international music concerts.

The box office goes live online today, and about safety measures at the venue, chairman Khushroo N Suntook told this diarist that all protocols have been designed in adherence to the rules laid down by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, apart from additional precautionary measures undertaken by them. "In addition to compulsory and proper use of masks, sanitisation, and physical distancing in the premises as well as the theatres, the audience, artistes and staff will go through temperature and oxygen-level checks upon entry," he added.

Making this count

Nestled near Murud is a rich ecosystem where some rare flora and fauna thrive - the Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary. Earlier this month, after the bird count was conducted in Karnala for the first time last month, the Maharashtra Forest Department in collaboration with Green Works Trust (GWT) is making birding the focus here, too. From January 29 to 31, people can enrol to participate in the bird count. But well, this isn't an opportunity that one can just wing. "Bird counting is a scientific method, where one gets to know how many species are there and the population of each one. So, anyone who signs up must be able to identify at least 50-60 birds of Maharashtra," Sagar Satpute, projects head, GWT, said.

Colour riot on R-Day for the kids

Last month saw the inauguration of Jolly Art Adda, a one-of-a-kind space in Kanjur Marg for artists to work on their pieces as well as display them. With Republic Day approaching, the venue is readying for another unique initiative. On January 22, it will host 26 children from underprivileged areas in the city, who will be handed 26 canvas boards. They will then be asked to paint a part of the board as per their wish and fill in the rest with their vision of the country. Rashmi Jolly, honorary consul general of Czech Republic for Maharashtra and Goa, who is helming the event told mid-day, "We will be distributing 50 per cent of the boards to these children in advance and the balance will paint live. These measures have to be adopted due to social distancing."

Nissim's verses come to life

Nissim Ezekiel is one of those poets who are synonymous with the poetry produced in their country. And those who are interested in delving deep into his works can attend a special session today by The Bombay Poetry Crawl, an initiative by Saranya Subramanian. The event titled Reading Nissim Ezekiel is a conversation between poets Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca and Menka Shivdasani. "They've both had personal interactions with him - while Mendonca is Ezekiel's daughter, Shivdasani was mentored by him - and are esteemed poets themselves," Subramanian shared. Log on to @thebombaypoetrycrawl on Instagram for registration details.

Capture the coast

The Coastwise Marine Festival is known for shining the spotlight on the country's lesser-known marine species and on conservation. While 2021's edition includes a host of events scheduled next month, it also includes a photography competition to celebrate India's marine biodiversity. The competition is now open, with six categories such as portraits, habitat, behaviour, anthropocene, creative and fine art, and underwater.

"Despite having experienced one of the worst years ever [2020], the competition also offers participants a reason to go back to their photographs and dig something up. The entries don't necessarily need to be from last year. The contest is open till February 15," Shaunak Modi, co-founder, Coastal Conservation Foundation, who is part of the festival team informed us. Interested folk can send their entries by heading to coastwise.in/submit.