Mumbai Masala: Navratri & Durga Puja Celebrate Cultural Vibrancy

The Gujarati component of Mumbai bursts forth during Navratri with garba-dandiya events organised across the metropolis. Thousands of Gujjus step out of their homes in “rabari” costumes and dance through the night at mega events at the Jio Centre, NESCO, Kora Kendra etc in gay abandon. With the Bengali population rising in the city the number of Durga puja pandals have also increased. Bongs in their traditional dhotis and sarees throng these pandals to pray to Maa Durga and exchange greetings. The best part is that these pandals have stalls selling authentic Bong stuff like khichuri, begun bhaja, labra, aloo posto, mishti doi, rosogulla, sondesh, pantua, chops, puchka and jhal muri. But one need not wait for the pujo to savour Bong food.

There are any number of Bong joints which offer fairly authentic stuff. Apart from Hanglas, we have The Calcutta Club, Oh Calcutta, Calcutta Chronicles, Kolkata Heshel, Ohh Bangla, Streets of Calcutta, Peetuk, Bijoli Grill et al. There were branches of Bhojohori Manna. Wonder what happened to them. Incidentally, there is a company in Kolkata which manufactures dry jhal muri in cones and they are available in several shops here. You open and put the muri in a vessel, add finely chopped green chillies and mustard oil and presto you have jhal muri almost as good as the ones sold at Vardaan market, Kolkata.

Sajjan Shakti Nyas Sends Sweet Gratitude To Jawans

For the past several years Sajjan Shakti Nyas, a city NGO, has been doing something very unique. Every Deepavali sends boxes of sweets and faral to our jawans guarding the border in Jammu & Kashmir, Leh, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh etc. Last year the organisation sent as many as 12,000 boxes of snacks. This year it plans to increase the number many more times. Each box contains four ladoos, chivda, chaklis, spicy sev and shankarpali and costs Rs751. It is a small gesture of gratitude from citizens to the men in uniform who guard our borders in most hostile weather conditions. Details can be had from Narendra Keni 9819394677 or 9930092015 or email sajjan.shakti@gmail.com. Incidentally, Keni is an avid mountaineer whose son is an army officer.

Netas Defy HC With Illegal Navratri Hoardings

The utter contempt that our netas have for the high court is to be seen to be believed. Despite orders against illegal hoardings these guys have put up thousands of garish hoardings all over the city and suburbs greeting people on Navratri (as if anyone cares). With the BMC elections round the corner these people are looking out for visibility. Since the civic body does not have the guts to remove these ugly hoardings, I think the honourable high court should take suo motu notice of the gross violation of its order and come down heavily on the violators.

Tailpiece

Spotted a sticker behind a car; “Not Drunk, Avoiding Potholes.” ? (Compiled by S Balakrishnan)

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