On top of the world
Carefree and energetic children hop across water pipelines during their playtime in Bandra East
Sangam steals the show
(From left) Moments from the practice sessions for the upcoming choral presentation. Pics courtesy/Pueri Cantores India Federation
The word ‘Sangam’ is the Sanskrit term for a confluence of rivers. This time, however, it comes as a soulful confluence of voices. Pueri Cantores India Federation, a Mumbai-based organisation dedicated to introducing young singers to sacred music, will host a concert on November 2 and 4, at Krupamata Auditorium, Thomas Baptista Junior College, Vasai, and at St Peter’s Church, Bandra, respectively. “We hold such concerts annually. Younggsters across Mumbai participate enthusiastically, coming from places like Malad, Borivli and Dadar. Often, as many as 200 apply, of which we select 70 to 80,” Joe Cordo, president of Pueri Cantores India Federation, told this diarist. He added, “The performance theme this time is peace and harmony; the songs performed communicate that message of unity, that’s why we named it ‘Sangam’, to symbolise harmony. Practice sessions are ongoing. The concerts will also feature the German choir, Jugendkantorei am Eichstätter Dom, arriving on November 1.”
A sparkly desi doll
The Barbie Signature Diwali Doll (right) Anita Dongre. Pics courtesy/Mattel Inc
Diwali is almost around the corner. In time for the festive season, Mattel Inc returns with its Barbie Signature Diwali Doll. Debuting last year, the doll had gained immense popularity among curators and consumers globally. It features a Moonlight Bloom lehenga, paired with a matching vest and choli top, with floral motifs, complete with jewellery and a bindi. The doll’s designer, Anita Dongre, said, “[This] was an iconic and powerful moment for South-Asian representation across the world. It was also a celebration of Indian fashion on the global stage. [The response] we received was profoundly moving.”
Supercop tales
Rakesh Maria. File pic
After his widely-read memoir Let Me Say It Now (2020), decorated top cop Rakesh Maria has picked up the pen once again. When It All Began (Penguin Random House), the retired Director General of Police’s upcoming title, will transport readers to the era of gang violence in the underbelly of Mumbai from the 1930s to the 1980s. In conversation with mid-day in July, Maria had said, “The city was different [in the 1980s] — raw, chaotic, and unforgiving.” We’ve learnt that the new book will bring the same rawness in Maria’s retellings that chronicle the rise of gangsters Karim Lala, Haji Mastan, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Rashid Arba, and Dawood Ibrahim. Fans of everything Bollywood are in for a treat — Maria promises to address the much-discussed nexus of crime and cinema in the city, with mentions of stars such as Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Amitabh Bachchan. We’re all eyes.
Harvest celebrations across the city
A priest collects paddy as part of the procession in Uttan. Pic courtesy/Pritam Colaso
The East Indian community in Mumbai celebrated the 2025 edition of Agera, a native Harvest Festival on October 5. The celebration featured over 140 Gaothans, over 30 villages, and more than five lakh members of the Catholic community. “Agera is celebrated to showcase the rich cultural heritage of our community. It was held across Mumbai, including in Bandra, Kandivli, Thane and Vasai,” this diarist learned from Alphi D’Souza, chief of the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat, who facilitated the festival. “There is a procession where people, with a priest, fetch paddy from fields, and take it back to their nearest churches to the priest, as a form of gratitude for the harvest.”
Wish upon a tree
Patrons hang their manifestations (right) The manifestation tree. Pics courtesy/Gracias Granny
Wishing on a star would be considered a childlike act of days past, but a new outlet in the city seems to be proving this common thought wrong. Gracias Granny, located in Santacruz West, is a Mexican café that opened its doors on October 3. Co-founder Rashmit Arora, shared with this diarist, “We had set up a small tree right at the entrance for our launch party. We call it ‘The Manifestation Tree’. It was intended to be something fun and interesting, where patrons can write whatever they want to manifest, and hang it up on the tree; it may or may not come true. But many people loved it, and so, we’ve decided to keep it as a permanent attraction.”
