05 May,2025 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Shadab Khan
A bamboo ware has reinforcements in the form of a stray as both await for customers to visit the stall in Grant Road.
Rahul Ramugade and Siddharth Mhatre at Shivaji Park, putting ability over disability
Recently, Rahul Ramugade, the captain of Mumbai's wheelchair cricket team was called to Shivaji Park in Dadar West for an interview with a media outlet. When he reached the place, he saw that bollards on the footpaths and the Park's locked gates meant he could not access the park on his wheelchair. Ramugade said the wheelchair had to be carried inside while he stood outside with help and then was helped inside over the âkatta' to his wheelchair. Ramugade then was accompanied by disability activist and HR professional, wheelchair-bound Siddharth Mhatre who was witness to the scenario. Mhatre spoke to the civic authorities about the problem. A few days later, the bollard was removed making the park accessible to wheelchair users. Mhatre and Ramugade shared, "This is a small victory but shows everyone how difficult it is to get access to any public space in the city. With this, even senior citizens who use wheelchairs will have access to the park. There are citizens who grumble that bikes will be back on the pavement, with this bollard removal. Bikers, do not ride on the footpaths and shut this park for us," the duo urged. Ramugade added, "It would be shameful if the nursery of Indian cricket is inaccessible to cricketers on wheelchairs." That's what we call batting for inclusion.
Saul Hudson aka Slash during a performance last year. Pic courtesy/Guns N Roses on Instagram
Mumbai's classic rock music enthusiasts have a new excuse to jam together. Mahim-based vinyl record store, The Revolver Club is organising a Guns n Roses vinyl listening party on May 10 ahead of the band's concert in the city on May 17.
"The idea is to get fans into the vibe before the band's much anticipated concert. Lately, cultural consumption has become a solitary activity with the advent of apps, be it music or films. We wanted to get people into a space where they can experience these things as a community. There will be lyric books and other merchandise for the fans as well," Jude de Souza (inset), chief executive officer, The Revolver Club, shared with us.
The Rasna illustration. Pic courtesy/Anirudh Kadav
As Mumbaikars indulge in cool drinks and other summer treats, Ghatkopar-based artist Anirudh Kadav has taken a nostalgia-filled trip to the 1990s with an illustration of the instant drink mix, Rasna. "One weekend, my wife Neha and I were discussing how we would relish these drinks as kids. It was then that I decided to sketch it out and talk about the story behind the origins of some of these childhood favourite treats," Kadav told this diarist.
A moment from a musical jam at the café. Pic courtesy/Gracias Granny
Mexican specialty café Gracias Granny is celebrating the festival of Cinco de Mayo today at their Chembur and Belapur outlets with a full-fledged fiesta. "The festival is a popular celebration of Mexican culture in countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom. We are commemorating it in our own way by decorating the outlets in papel picados which are iconic Mexican streamers.
Along with classic dishes like quesadillas, tacos and churros, we have also Latin dance acts by a group called Dancing Passions. Our in-house team will be offering free face painting to every patron visiting the cafés, to celebrate the spirit of this vibrant festival," Rashmit Arora (left), co-founder of the cafés, revealed to this diarist.
Gooseneck barnacles. Pic courtesy/Pradip Patade
When you take a stroll on Mumbai's shores, you are likely to spot hard shells growing out of trash. Recently, Pradip Patade, co-founder of Marine Life of Mumbai, and an expert in the field of marine life, spotted Gooseneck barnacles at the Carter Road Promenade. "These animals land up on our shores in the pre-monsoon and monsoon season and can be found attached to trash including shoes, thermocol, or wooden logs. Their scientific name is Lepas anserifera. They have no commercial value although few fishermen use them as a delicacy. It is rarely used as food," he informed this diarist.
