18 October,2010 08:30 AM IST | | Hemal Ashar
Now that the Commonwealth Games have come to an end and Navratri season gets ready for a full-on frenzied weekend, it is time to make some observations...
One gentleman called Bhupen Chheda is the moving spirit behind Roman Navratri at the Tulip Star hotel in Juhu (Roman? Imagine Julius Caesar and Cleopatra clicking sticks on 'munni badnaam hui darrrling tere liye', that might change the course of history).
Chheda expressed an interesting view sometime earlier. He hoped that some day, all the city's Navratri mandals would come under one common umbrella. The dandiya revellers could then be issued one single pass for the Navratri season that would give them access to all the mandals. This way, the dandiya enthusiasts could try new places everyday and, like party hoppers catching parties on New Year night, might hopu00a0 mandals too.
The dandiya enthusiasts could try new places everyday, like party hoppers catching parties on New Year night.
However, there is one catch. People would have around three-hour window to get from one venue to another. Imagine being caught up in a traffic snarl while the band is belting out 'pari hoon main.' Then, it is difficult to imagine all mandals coming under one umbrella given the cutthroat competition, but stranger things have happened.
Shifting focus from mandals to medals, with the Commonwealth Games bidding aideu, it is time to look ahead ufffdhoping that corporates step in and adopt Indian medal winners. It is good to carry the momentum forward. Buzz in the boardrooms across India must be about striking the iron when it is hot. Maybe, the BSE Sensex could adopt the Indian women's 400m-relay team giving it the tagline ufffd bullish about Indian sport!
u00a0
The Capital's Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community apparently, could not egg on out gay diver Matthew Mitcham to a gold. The Olympic gold medallist had to settle for silver, but for the gay community, Matthew is still, hopefully, their icon. Which brings one to think whether India would ever host a Gay Games? Not many people had thought India would have Gay Parades but they are here now. A Gay Games? Some day on the desi horizon, maybe.u00a0
Finally, with the Asian Games begining in Guangzhou (China) from November 12 to 27; the hosts should end up with the largest medal haul. In the sporting arena, China has made its mark. For now, let China sleep, because when she awakes, the world will tremble.u00a0
