The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Nimesh Dave
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A deer passes a board displaying a no-entry sign at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivli East.
Riding the wave
A moment from the Bengaluru meet of the community
There will be a gathering of women surfers and divers in Bandra this weekend. The community of Brown Buddies is an exclusive space for women in the ocean space from India and its diaspora in the world. “We are a citizen collective for India, Maldives and Sri Lanka right now.
This is only our second meet up in the city, and something we would like to do more often,” shared Krysta Pancras, social media head of the community. Describing it as a citizen-led initiative, Pancras added, “This is not a divers-only collective, and includes windsurfers, swimmers, sailors, marine biologists, marine artists. We hope to help anyone connected to the ocean space to reach out to other women, share their experience and learn from each other.” With challenges ranging from competing in a male-dominated field to cultural barriers, the presence of such peers is a comfort to women, she said. “We have recently published our menstrual resource for women in the ocean space online. We found that menstruation is a taboo topic even for empowered women, and have created this resource for people to talk about the challenges they face, and how to navigate it in the field. We hope to distribute it through the community, at diving spaces, or clubs even,” Pancras concluded. Readers can find more details on @wearebrownbuddies.
One hundred years of music
Instruments line the interiors; the exterior façade of store
Amidst the bustling crowds of Girgaon, the familiar façade of Haribhau Vishwanath Musical Industries is buzzing with enthusiasm. The family-owned store will enter its centenary year in 2025, and is planning a series of special concerts in January to ring in the big year.
“It is not every day that a family-owned business turns 100,” shared partner Ashish Diwane. Since their founding in 1925, the Girgaon store has created instruments and served musical legends like the Mangeshkar family, Pandit CR Vyas, composer Naushad and singer Parveen Sultana among many others.
Partners Ashish and Dilip Diwane
Senior partner Dilip Diwane added, “Since I joined the business in 1969, I have witnessed several distinguished artistes from the music industry frequenting our store. While harmonium-making was our forte, we expanded into crafting santoors, Hawaiian guitars, electric mandolins, violins and several other percussion instruments.” The store, he noted, is a reminder of how many contributors work behind the scene. “We would not have made it this far without our own kaarigars and customers,” Dilip Diwane told this diarist.
All the world’s a stage for poetry
Kopal Khanna; (right) Artistes perform on stage during the Australia tour earlier this year
Tape a Tale has its travel itinerary ready for the new year even before we enter 2025. “We have locked a line-up of three artistes for 2025 who will be doing their solo performances in Australia throughout the year. We have Helly Shah going in April, Laksh Maheshwari in July, and Nidhi Narwal in October,” Kopal Khanna (below), founder and director, told this diarist. When we broached the topic of open-mic’s proliferation across digital mediums in the past few years and its meteoric rise, she said, “This modern take on storytelling and poetry started only after 2017 when videos went viral on YouTube and Instagram. But it was after the COVID-19 pandemic that people started doing solo shows and this led to a rise in solo artistes. Now, we have people who are doing this for their bread and butter too. This is very much a growing industry today,” she added.
Santa four paws
A pet peeks into its gift box at a previous gifting event
It is the season to give, and why should our pet friends be denied the joy. Continuing a Christmas tradition, the Heads Up For Tails (HUFT) foundation is hosting a Santa for paws initiative that invites pet parents to share some love with the strays in need. From pre-loved toys, cushions and clothes to gifting new goodies, the foundation will raise funds to benefit shelters such as the Wagging Tales Foundation, Friendicoes, and Youth Organisation for Defense of Animals (YODA) among others. “Every year, pet parents from across India come together to help their pets’ pre-loved toys reach another set of paws in need. The initiative is a heartfelt way to spread the holiday spirit and brighten the lives of animals,” shared founder, Rishi Narang.
The Irani cafe wears a smile
Gustad Irani; (right) A view of the café interiors
Walk through the familiar doors of Girgaon’s Cafe de la Paix and you might just spot a shiny new trophy on the mantle. The café was awarded the Khaane Mein Kya Hai plaque as part of the recent Epicurean Awards. When this diarist called, owner Gustad Irani shared, “It was a delight to be awarded. I just shared it, and people have been kind with their love and compliments.”
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