Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Heavy lifting in the cityA man carries a huge bundle of clothes on Sandhurst Road bridge reflecting the everyday challenges that most Mumbaikars experienceKeep nature aliveThe initiativersquos poster at Taloja Hill Forest Pic courtesyINaturewatchTo preserve the vanishing nature trails across Navi Mumbai environmentalist V Shubhalaxmi started an initiative called Trailblazers at Taloja Hill Forest last Tuesday Through this initiative people can adopt a nature trail for a minimum of six months and help maintain a 500metre stretch of the trailShe explained the vision behind the initiative ldquoAs cities expand the need to integrate accessible wild spaces while conserving their ecology becomes ever more important Most existing trails here are nothing more than dirt paths with occasional signage leading to environmental degradation and chaotic visitor movement This project seeks to change thatrdquoA day in the life of a lizardAn Oriental Garden Lizard spotted in Bhandup Pic courtesyWikimedia CommonsIn order to highlight the importance of lizards an oftneglected species Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVS is organising I Love Lizards a monthlong national art competition for children Young artists can send portraits of lizards that they spot in their neighbourhoods homes or gardens to lizardsarelovelygmailcom Manoj Chaudhari inset assistant curator of Natural History at CSMVS said ldquoThrough this initiative the museum aims to help children aged six to 15 observe lizards more closely appreciate their beauty and understand their importance in maintaining our home ecosystem The jury includes Nature Walk Pune trustee Anuj Khare and middayrsquos assistant editor Ranjeet JadhavA medley on the canvasDashavatara acrylic on canvas Arpitha ReddyThat filmmaker Muzaffar Ali is an artist was selfevident with his magnum opus Umrao Jaan A remastered version of the 1982 classic and a book on its making was released last weekend with the filmmaker in attendance It seems that was a preview Ali will be part of a group exhibition of 25 artists titled Voices that will open at the Jehangir Art Gallery on July 16 ldquoHe Muzaffar Ali is a reader author filmmaker and artist and has been painting for over 50 yearsrdquo shared art historian Uma Nair who curated the presentation by Bespoke Gallery AhmedabadHoshruba acrylic and oil on canvas Muzaffar Ali Pics CourtesyBespoke GalleryAlirsquos work Hoshruba will be among three pieces on display Describing the exhibition that spans styles mediums and artistic traditions Nair said ldquoThe idea was to put together a set of voices from across IndiardquoMuzaffar Ali right Uma NairFrom the Gond creations of Bhajju Sham nephew and student of Jangarh Singh Shyam to sculptures by Arzan Khambatta and Harsha Durugadda the showcase also includes the Dashavtara mural by Arpitha Reddy ldquoShe is a rare artist who has trained in the temple mural traditions of Guruvayoor and taken it forwardrdquo revealed NairA new chapterA moment from a previous session Pic courtesyJuhu ReadsJuhu Reads considers itself as more than just a reading community In collaboration with Connect For and Kshitij Foundation the community is holding a paper and cloth bagmaking session for underprivileged children Prashant Pundir inset the cocurator of the community told this diarist ldquoJuhu Reads has always been about goodness before itrsquos been about reading We believe in the quiet power of community and the childlike faith of children If we can come together to make even a small difference in their lives itrsquos worth everythingrdquo The session will be conducted on July 5 If yoursquod like to know more check out juhureads on Instagram