Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Babyrsquos day outA child rocks in a makeshift cradle at Shivaji Park with his family who came to observe the death anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi on December 6Exchanging cultureImagine being taught to paint Warli art during school hours A batch of students from Bombay Scottish School Mahim with their counterparts from Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest in the Netherlands experienced Mumbairsquos Indigenous culture The students are part of an exchange programme that has brought 16 of them from the Netherlands to MumbaiChildren at Bombay Scottish engage with students from Netherlands for a cultural exchange programmeTo give the kids an experience of India and its culture the school collaborated with the walking tour company Go Hallu Hallumdashfounded by Aslam Saiyad and Gopal MSmdash to curate an enjoyable experience This took them around Banganga Khotachiwadi CST and finally to Sanjay Gandhi National Park where the Warli community residesDinesh a resident of the community and a walk leader with Go Hallu Hallu is accustomed to conducting the Dahisar Pada Warli Walk for locals in Mumbai This time he gave students from Mumbai and the Netherlands a workshop on Warli art ldquoAs a part of the program Aslam guided us to the Warli village where Dinesh introduced the children to the various symbols used in this traditional folk art We later visited a house where a wedding had recently taken place and he showed the children how the entire ceremony had been beautifully depicted through Warli artrdquo shared Hiral Shroff a teacher at Bombay Scottish SchoolClubbinrsquo for 150 yearsThe Bombay Gym is a vital part of Mumbairsquos SoBo club sceneJust as we come screeching towards the end of the year December is a time to look back at a year gone by and at the same time look forward as the New Year rolls in There are several institutions that will be celebrating landmarks in the coming year prime amongst which is the swish Bombay Gymkhana Club at Fort Mumbai which will mark 150 years of its existence in 2025 We hear there are a slew of events and activities to celebrate the milestone being planned at this club next to the iconic Azad Maidan While everybody may not be privy to the hallowed goings on one can be certain given the profile of the club and its members that it is going to be making news once we dive into 2025Swipe trends and city clashesSunday midday attended Tinderrsquos Year in Swipe event at All Saints Khar this week and it was all about looking back at 2024rsquos standout dating trends and stepping into 2025 with purpose It unveiled three big trends shaping dating culture Loud Looking where daters confidently define their needs Kissmet embracing serendipitous connections and Nanoships finding meaning in even the smallest interactionsBut letrsquos talk about what really stole the show the classic Delhi vs Mumbai dating debate It all started when a Mumbai girl mentioned how Delhi boys are ldquored flagsrdquo prompting the only Delhi boy at our table to launch into defense mode ldquoMumbai girls donrsquot want to commitrdquo he shot back When we asked the 28yearold about how old are the women he dates his nonchalant ldquo22 to 30rdquo response was met with roaring laughter Change your dating pool Delhi boyWhen Australia had some serious batting firepowerErapalli Prasanna India PicSampGPA Images via Getty ImagesAustralian cricket stocks are down You donrsquot need a genius to tell you that no matter what happens in the ongoing pink ball Test at the Adelaide Oval With due credit to the Indian bowlersrsquo Perth show our inhouse cricket wonders if he has seen a weaker and more underperforming Australian batting lineupThe one the Aussies put on the park during the 197778 series would come close It was a third string team packed with rookies who were capped in the midst of Kerry Packerrsquos World Series Cricket So which Australian batting lineup was the strongestOur cricket nut found a 1985 article published in The Sportstar magazine which quoted offspin great EAS Prasanna as saying that the 196768 Australian team had the best batsmen ldquoThe most powerful Australian lineup I had ever bowled against was the 196768 combination The batting order consisted of the worldrsquos best ever opening pair of Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson Bob Cowper Ian Redpath lan Chappell Paul Sheahan and a tail headed by Barry Jarman that had the capabilities to contribute quite handsomelyrdquo said Prasanna We can safely presume that Pras 84 is glued to his television set in Bangalore and hersquoll remember his 196768 and 197778 Tests at the Adelaide OvallsquoSingham coprsquo wins India another goldPI Subhash PujariWhat is champion bodybuildercop Subhash Pujarirsquos greatest flex The Inspector posted with the Dial 112 Command and Control Centre in Mahape Navi Mumbai is the only Indian policeman to have won 10 international medals for bodybuilding Just a few weeks ago he won his fourth gold medal by flexing his bronzed muscles at the 15th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships 2024 in Maldives ldquoI am proud to show the world how fit Indian Police areThe other competitors many of whom are now my friends call me lsquoIndian coprsquo which fills me with priderdquo he says And what do people call him back home ldquoSingham coprdquo he chuckles ldquoWhen I was posted on the Crime Branch criminals would take one look at me and spill their secretsrdquo The 45yearold has inspired many a policeman to start working out he tells this diarist ldquoWherever Irsquove been posted other officers have started gymming and following a healthy dietrdquo says Pujari who trains five hours a day and never cheats on his boiled eggchickenfish diet ldquoI believe everyone should work out and be fitrdquo