Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

Birds of a feather

A flock of pigeons sits on the gate of Ganesh Ghat near Dadar Chowpatty.

Giving a shoutout to Marathi

The Kodagu-based Vijay Nambisan Fellowship for 2024 is inviting entries for English and Marathi. With an April 30 deadline, the fellowship will be curated, and the results will be announced in July. "The fellowship is offered to writers in English and one regional language. We chose Marathi because it has a rich tradition of poetry," shared trustee Kavery Nambisan (inset). The trust's intent is literature with empathy as her late husband, Vijay Nambisan, was deeply interested in humanities, she remarked.

Was it Kurla or Sion?

Sion station (in today's Kurla) in April, 1853. Pics Courtesy/The Illustrated London News

On Indian Railways' 171st birth anniversary on April 16, Kalyan-based railway history enthusiast Kedar Karambelkar (below) shared a fun fact: Sion station, one of the first passenger trains, was never initially in the Sion neighbourhood. "It was actually in Kurla, near the Sarveshwar Temple, right next to the old level crossing," the 28-year-old shared, "Sion station opened up in April of 1853, it was renamed to Kurla station in 1855, and 20 years later came the Sion station in the Sion neighbourhood."

Kedar Karambelkar

An avid reader whose research involves poring over books and newspapers, Karambelkar's recent endeavour, Timeline of Mumbai Suburban Stations Opening - Central Railway, chronologically lists railway station names alongside when they were created. "There are many such facts which are not commonly known or misinterpreted about the railway lines in Mumbai. For instance, Dadar station opened between August and October 1853 as Mahim Road. It was renamed to Dadar on October 1, 1856. Or that the Harbour Line was opened for passenger traffic much later on February 1, 1911. The Central Salsette Tramway that closed down on April 1, 1930 due to loss, also had a station named Santa Cruz. You can check out more facts on the whole of Mumbai region CR suburban stations highlighted in the chronology," he added. Log on to irfca.org to view his project.

Say no to wild animals as pets

A section of the poster made by college student Anindita Mukherjee

Earlier this week, Anish Andheria (inset), CEO, Wildlife Conservation Trust, received a sweet surprise when he dropped by Mira Road's Royal College for a talk on the need for conservation. A Second Year (BSc) student, Anindita Mukherjee, had created a poster on the need for wildlife conservation, inspired by Andheria's previous campaign at the college titled Trapped in Trade. "Did you know that illegal wildlife trade is the fourth largest illegal trade in the world? A few years ago, India was a target. But now, it has buyers with hubs in Mumbai and other parts of the country. Our campaign seeks to spread awareness among the people about the risks both the animals and humans face with this kind of a trade. Through this campaign, we request them to give up on their urge to keep wild animals as pets," the conservationist told us. Inspired by his campaign, Mukherjee, a member of the college's green club Nisarg, rolled out the poster that included results of a survey conducted on college students, easy references about animal protection acts, penalties, and a click mode to report animal or pet abuse.

Goku's birthday bash in Mumbai

Goku celebrates his birthday with children (right) Smith Sawant

Remember Goku from Planet Vegeta, who came to the Earth to escape the destruction on his planet and conquer ours? This famous Dragon Ball Z character, came alive in anime enthusiast Smith Sawant's recent creation, and was seen celebrating his birthday with the children in a Mumbai gully yesterday. "No one really knows the exact year of Goku's birth. Creator Akira Toriyama created Dragon Ball before Dragon Ball Z. But before all that, came the manga Dragon Boy, from which Goku's character was inspired. So, while there is no way to tell his exact age, I figured that he would either turn 40 or 41 this year," Sawant, co-founder of The Comix India (a page that reimagines and takes forward famous anime narratives in Mumbai). "Goku has always been a polite character, who lost his memory the day he landed on Earth. So, when I imagined his birthday in Mumbai, I saw him celebrating it with innocent children," the creator added.