Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

All in a day's work

Construction workers of the Mumbai Metro project take a breather before getting back to work near the Western Express Highway in Jogeshwari.

The heights of festivities

The 33-ft tall Christmas tree

As the city rings in Christmas and Christmas trees start popping up in every neighbourhood, the Rotary Club of Bhandup has taken it one step ahead (and above). The community group built a spineless mirror-finish Christmas tree measuring 33 ft using cardboard tubes, thereby making it quite the towering spectacle. "We [the club] undertook the task as a means to draw attention to the indispensable cause of sustainability. It also doubled as a bonding activity for the club members. It was a win-win for us!" shared Jennifer Isaac, club president. The tree will be on display at Dina Patil Estate in Bhandup West till New Year's Eve, following which it will be auctioned off to interested buyers. "It is a fundraising exercise. All proceeds from the auction will go towards social welfare activities," she told this diarist.

Built on hopes and hoops

Ronnie Singh from the 2K foundation at the inauguration ceremony; the court sports murals painted by award-winning artist Sneha Chakraborty; Anshul Jain

The next time you head to watch a basketball game in Mulund, you might find it hard to keep your eyes on the ball. A newly inaugurated state-of-the-art basketball court in MPS Mithagar School in the eastern suburb is equal parts a sporting achievement and a visual marvel. Built under an initiative by 2K foundation, a global basketball promoter of the NBA 2K fame, and Hi5 Youth Foundation, an organisation that aims to make the sport accessible to all in India, the court sports murals that depict scenes from everyday lives of Mumbaikars. "This one is for Mumbai and its undying spirit. We have been building courts in Mumbai for a while; this is our sixth project. We wanted it to be a tribute to the passion the new generations of Mumbai have for the sport," Anshul Jain, head of operations, Hi5 Youth foundation, told this diarist, adding that the court will help 150 students practise the sport every day. The court is currently open to the aspiring athletes who train under the wings of the foundation. "We have 4,000 students from underprivileged schools across Mumbai whom we train free of cost. These kids show immense talent; our job is to provide them with the best opportunities," he shared.

Davla on our mind

Davla with prawns; Parag Tandel; Kamal Kashinath Tandel

Mumbai-based multimedia artist Parag Tandel is best known for his efforts to keep alive the culture and cuisine of the Koli community. Of the many faces who are responsible for his exhaustive body of work, his mother, Kamal Kashinatah Tandel tops the list. "She loves to cook crabs sided with davla, a vegetable found abundantly in the mangroves. It's hard to find it nowadays owing to the increasing encroachment in mangrove areas," Tandel shared. This recipe that he and his mother inherited from Tandel's grandmother late Kashibai Atmaram Tandel, is now part of an e-book called Dried Fish Matters released by Too Big to Ignore, a global research network that focuses on addressing issues affecting viability of small-scale fisheries. "I still enjoy davla with prawns," he added.

Caught in the long run in Taiwan

Priyanka Bhatt (right) at the event

Thirty-eight-year-old Sion resident Priyanka Bhatt recently returned home from a sporting journey right out of a movie. The seasoned runner was part of the Indian team at the IAU 24 Hour World Championship 2023 held in Taiwan. Bhatt, who ran 172 km in the 24-hour period revealed how things went south early into the run. She shared, "I was expecting the weather in Taiwan to be something like Mumbai - warm and humid. However, it started drizzling halfway through the run and it didn't help that the temperature dipped soon after. I was struggling to breathe." The event witnessed 11 Indians participate as a team in an attempt to cover the longest distance in the 24-hour window. While the men's team finished sixth, the women finished 15th; a new record for the country. "The unfavourable conditions slowed us down physically and mentally, but at the end of the 24 hours we still were proud Indians who represented the country on a global stage," she told this diarist.