Bay watch
Tourists catch a picture-perfect view of the Arabian Sea along the Apollo Bunder promenade
Ground realities at Marol Naka
The rangoli made by Metro pilots at the Marol Naka Metro station
The festive celebrations at the Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3 went abstract last weekend. Commuters at the Marol Naka station of the Metro Line were welcomed on Dhanteras with a large rangoli depicting the Mumbai cityscape made by the quartet of Metro pilots — Nidhi Kathane, Harshali Kadav, Prajakta Kanoja, and Shivani Sonkale. Unfortunately, the colourful mural seems to have fallen prey to an inattentive pedestrian, leaving a smeared mess. As expected, with the commuter numbers on the rise this festive season.
Mind over matter
Diwali might not be all mithai, family, and laughter for some of us. Agatsu Foundation has initiated a thoughtful way to make a difference. They are offering Therapy Gift Certificates (below) worth Rs 400 each for subsidised therapy sessions, to help those grappling with depression. Choose your message, personalise it, and send a digital certificate. Visit agatsufoundation.org to show you care.
Good news from the wild
Dr AJT Johnsingh’s studies of the Dhole in 1976 paved way for further research. PICS COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
In a first, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is set to release a comprehensive guide to 450 Indian mammals in its upcoming title Mammals of India (HarperCollins India). Author Dr PO Nameer is dedicating the March 2026 release to co-author and veteran wildlife biologist Dr AJT Johnsingh (below), who passed away in June 2024, while the book was still taking shape. Johnsingh was a pre-eminent voice in the field of free-ranging large mammals in India.
“I began working on the book with Dr Johnsingh nearly a decade ago. As we anticipate its launch, I’m filled with mixed feelings. I am deeply saddened that he is not here to see the work come to culmination,” Dr Nameer shared with us. This diarist learnt that the new title will include key identification features, biometric data, distribution, natural history notes, and current conservation status for wildlife enthusiasts to pore over. “We believe this book will inspire young readers to step out, observe and partake in active conservation efforts,” said Kishor Rithe, director, BNHS.
Kochi Biennale canvas call
(From left) Salik Ansari, Shamim Khan, Shamooda Amrelia, and Bhushan Bhombale. PIC COURTESY/Bhushan Bhombale
Four Mumbai-based artists from the Secular Arts Collective are donning the instructor’s cap to guide applicants of the much-anticipated upcoming Kochi Biennale Foundation’s Students’ Biennale. The collective has been working with students, educators and artists to understand what art education in India needs and lacks. This diarist reached out to the curators, Salik Ansari, Shamim Khan, Shamooda Amrelia, and Bhushan Bhombale. “We’re hosting workshops and conversations with the applicants. We don’t want to limit them to a singular cause, but are looking at [multiple] stories, perspectives and contexts that they bring,” Amrelia said. Meanwhile, Ansari shared, “Visual work must be accessible across class and caste barriers. Last week, we concluded a workshop about the curatorial concept, movement, and the ideas involved. By the end of October, we will be able to finalise the selection.”
A different ball game in Bandra
The newly-created graffiti on the facade of the college. PIC COURTESY/RAHUL MAURYA
Students of Bandra West’s RD National College have found themselves in a pickle this month. Keeping up with the times, the basketball court in the campus is getting a makeover into a pickleball court called Smash Yard. The signature cream-and-brown walls of the college are receiving a revamp as well, we learnt. Graffiti artist Rahul Maurya aka Alchemy, who was roped in to spruce up the area with his team, shared, “We have left a friendly mascot named Pickle Peter who will watch over the students from the walls. Hopefully, the murals will spark an interest for graffiti in the young collegians. It was refreshing for an educational institute to embrace graffiti as an art form.” Talk about being a good sport.
