Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Best fit forward

Pedestrians walk past a massive hoarding for a denim brand near Fashion Street

Fuelling up Mumbai for 85 years

A photograph of the petrol pump in its early years; (right, clockwise from top) Daniel, Kevin and Jacinta Sequeira

Even if you don't own a car, and happen to be in Ballard Estate this week, we suggest you head to the Art Deco petrol pump Karfule that turned 85 yesterday. Opened in 1938 by Gabriel Sequeira, it was designed by architect Gajanan B Mhatre and Architectural Studio. For its 85th birthday, third-generation owner Daniel Sequeira shared that the family has been working to spruce up the landmark. He said, "We're restoring the grills on the central office. All except one of the original brass grills had been stolen over the years. We intend to replace them with new fabrication in its original design. I will scrape paint from part of the sole original brass grill to showcase the finish underneath." The work is set to be completed by Saturday, in time for a walking tour around the neighbourhood's Edwardian and Art Deco structures, led by Sequeira and hosted by Art Deco Mumbai.

Cambridge calling

It is a Boston tea party for Dr Sabyasachi Mukherjee, director of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, who was elected as a member to one of the oldest learned societies in the United States - the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at Cambridge, Boston - earlier this week. Sharing a message from the MIT campus, Dr Mukherjee (inset)wrote, "I never dreamed of being recognised and honoured by such a prestigious institution of remarkable minds." Despite the personal achievement, he said that it was the mention of the museum that gave him more pride. "This has been a collective effort and we prove again and again that this togetherness we share as a community can bring impactful changes in our society and the world. I accepted the honour yesterday on behalf of the CSMVS team, trustees, and friends," he shared.

We're tripping on the news

Interiors of the new space that will open later this month in Kamala Mills

Trevor Noah is not the only guest to have arrived in the city from Bengaluru this month. Trippy Goat Café from Cunningham Road in the IT city will soon open its first outlet in Lower Parel. Having opened in Bengaluru during the pandemic, marketing head and partner, Vivek Poonacha remarked, "It was natural for us to look towards Mumbai since it was the perfect cosmopolitan city for our ideas."

(From left) Vivek Poonacha, Vishal Nagpal and Abhijit Muralidhar

The new space, located in Kamala Mills, will reflect quite a bit of their Bengaluru ethos, but with a different wine curation, coffee selection and a global menu. "We have designed the space to be warm and welcoming, with a mid-century modern appeal that is designed to cater to the city's tastes," he told this diarist.

Marine magic

Are you aware of the many marine creatures such as sea sponges and anemones that populate Mumbai's shoreline? In an effort to bring them into the spotlight, youth-driven initiative Ministry of Mumbai's Magic's recently selected team of Youth Action Circle (YAC), has chosen the biodiversity of the city to be one of the two core topics to tackle. "The idea is to focus on the visibility of wildlife in the city. Once people grow aware of their existence we can talk about conservation," shared Malvika M, a member of the group. As previously reported on this page, YAC is a group of six youngsters from across interests and professions. For its latest series, Looking Out For Nature, they collaborated with Marine Life of Mumbai, and also partnered with the NaturalisT Foundation for the recently concluded Butterfly Race for butterfly month. "We have many events lined up in the near future as well," she confirmed to this diarist.

The joy of an imaginative evening

Kuriyan (standing) at the workshop

Quietly, and without much ado, Bandra's Mcubed Library celebrated its 12th year on September 30. The founding day celebrations also saw writer and illustrator Priya Kuriyan receive the second Mehlli Gobhai illustrator award for her work, Beauty is missing.

A paper cut artwork created by a child

"Her work brings together subtle character sketches, humanism and a distinctive sense of humour," said Vibha Kamat, co-founder of the library. For Kuriyan, the award was an honour, but so was spending an hour hosting a paper cut workshop for the children at the library. "The kids came up with some fun and really deep insights," she remarked.