This evening, Mumbai historian Simin Patel will discuss the hotel trade in Bombay from 1860 to 1903. Excerpts from an interview Article By Anand Benegal | Mid-Day Q. What interests you about the hotel trade in old-time Mumbai? Was there a colonial influence on its design and character? A. I am interested in how early… Continue reading Check in to vintage Mumbai with Simin Patel
Author: arZan
Time to institutionalise puppetry: Dadi Pudumjee
The master puppeteer who gave life to mammoth puppets besides song and dance sequences in modern puppetry, is back with a one-of-its-kind exhibition detailing the journey of Zorastrianism, considered among the oldest religions in the world. Sangeet Natak Academi award winner, Dadi Pudumjee is one of the curators of the ‘Everlasting Flame International’ exhibition, being… Continue reading Time to institutionalise puppetry: Dadi Pudumjee
Zubin Mehta launches his biography
World-renowned orchestra conductor Zubin Mehta launched a biography based on his life and work on Friday. Titled Zubin Mehta: A Musical Journey by Bakhtiar Dadabhoy, the book narrates the story of nearly six decades of the maestro’s career. Mehta will turn 80 on April 29. “Well, I couldn’t have dreamt that this book could exist… Continue reading Zubin Mehta launches his biography
Lecture on old Bombay hotels debunks myths and unearths scandals
There has been a persistent rumour that Parsi industrialist Jamsetji Tata was denied entry to the European-owned Esplanade Hotel or in a less popular account Pyrke’s Apollo Hotel. In retaliation, the legend goes, Tata built the grand Taj Mahal Hotel at Apollo Bunder. It’s a lovely tale of victory snatched from humiliation; but… Continue reading Lecture on old Bombay hotels debunks myths and unearths scandals
Go beyond wearing a sari
After the interest generated by #100SareePact, three women set up The Registry of Sarees to focus on Indian weaves and help set up looms Kausalya Satyakumar, Apoorva Sadanand and Ally Matthan share a passion for indigenous techniques of weaving, embroidery and everything that goes into Indian textiles. All through 2015, they observed the enthusiasm created… Continue reading Go beyond wearing a sari
Udvada: A town on the verge of being forgotten
The Majestic Hotel at Udvada in Gujarat was a popular destination for tourists until it shut down in the 1990s. A hub of Parsi merry-making in the 1950s and 1960s, it has become a mere shadow of its glorious past. A photograph by Shantanu Das shows one of its doors with a rusted bolt and… Continue reading Udvada: A town on the verge of being forgotten
Parsi kids revive Monajats at event
On Saturday evening, the Parsi community of Mumbai saw the recital of MonaJat songs, or religious Parsi songs, during a competition at Allbless Baug in Charni Road. This was for the first time that such an event was held in the city. Article by Forum Gandhi | DNA Around 250 children, aged between 5-15 years,… Continue reading Parsi kids revive Monajats at event
The indomitable Parsis
The Parsi story seen through three very different exhibitions in Delhi that chronicle their art and aesthetics, their early history and their unique brand of spiritualism Pestonji Bomanji’s ‘Feeding the Parrot’ instantly draws attention to its illumination, where it is light that speaks through the portrait. The woman’s enduring sad eyes (although the profile shows… Continue reading The indomitable Parsis
Sarosh Zaiwalla: The Lawyer Who Tried To Halt Iraq War
Sarosh Zaiwalla peers deeply into his phone. It pings at him. His kitchen-sitting-dining room is several shades of white; sunlight beams through large modern windows. Beyond the garden, the English Channel laps the beach. Article by Alexander Gilmour | FT.com Ping! “Financial Times wants a quote from me on this lifting of sanctions.” His tones… Continue reading Sarosh Zaiwalla: The Lawyer Who Tried To Halt Iraq War
