[Picture taken at the Deer Enclosure of the Byculla Zoo]

“While civic officials said that the stampede night have taken place after some dogs entered the meshe containers, sources said the high-decibel noise from a heavy-duty earth-remover could have triggered panic among the animals.”

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Anybody who has visited Byculla zoo will contest on the sad treatment of animals there. Cages, small enclosures, cains – it is more a prison.

The 4th Annual festival of experimental cinema in India is here, better known as Experimenta 2006. As usual it will be a treat to all the über -film buffs (or film goers in general) in the city as they all descend on it like vultures on carrion. The showing includes vintage silent Indian cineam from 1910s in a showing titled FILM ARTIST PHALKE, films from the former USSR (FALLEN CURTAIN) and not to mention the India premiere of Ashim Ahluwalia’s ‘John & Jane’ – a documentary about six call agents who answer American 1-800 numbers in a Mumbai call center.

The festival starts tomorrow (15th February) and runs until the 19th. Students keep your ID cards in handy for a discount on the delegate fee. For more information refer to the schedule.

This is really good news for the city starved of real estate, being an island city there is only one way the city can grow and that’s vertical. Though the FSI of 4 is peanuts compared to the FSI of Dubai or NY who have FSI of 35-40, this is definitely a good beginning.

If I was the CM I would rebuild the entire Marine Drive with skyscrapers of 100 floors each and change office timings from 7 to 3pm to reduce crowd during peak hours.

DNA has the story here
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1012915

The decision though taken 2 years after it was first recommended by then CM’s Task force’s report on its Vision 2013 “Transforming Mumbai into a World Class city”

Read the comprehensive report : www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/reports/taskforce.pdf

FSI – The ratio of the total floor area of a building or buildings to the gross area of the lot on which the building or buildings are located. For example, a floor space index (FSI) of 2.0 would indicate that the total floor area of a building could be up to 2 times the gross area of the lot on which it is located.

The color of the season is pink… Mumbai, its lil shops, all small and big cards and gifts shops, all candy shops, all boutiques all everthing is decked up in pink.. I dont oppose valentines day.. but isn’t the bath in pink a little bit too much.. even the stupid indian idol aspirants r dressed in pink!!! god. all.. each n everyone of them.. crooning out love songs..on a pink hearts background..

I checked out the NY Blog, and a few others too.. there are so many happy love struck ppl… who are planning surprises and dinners and so much more for their sweethearts…. I m glad the blog I checked had a normal colored kangaroo and not a pink one…!!

now that valentines day is just around the corner.. what I am wondering is how Shiv Sena is going to react.. the same Raj Thackeray .. who as of last year carried out loud violent protests and huge morchas is “pro-valentines day” this time.. dont they see what kind of a joke they end up being?? mayb he ended up seeing the sfter side of things.. wonder if Uddhav Thackeray and the rest will protest this time just to go against Raj T.

I had taken a pic of these all pink things.. but it is nt uploading frm my cell tonite.. I ll just do it up later..and maybe then I ll have more to update about what exactly happens tomorrow…

With all the news India is making — you will be surprised how the others (at large) still percieve India. In the last five years that I’ve been globetrotting, I’ve encountered and (answered) some of the silliest to some of the most intelligent questions —

q) Where did you learn English? You speak it so well!
a) In school. We do have english schools in Bombay.

q) I’ve heard there are cows on your roads?
a) Yes. We pride on letting our cows roam on the roads.

q) Now, what do young people do in Bombay?
a) What they do in every other city — chill out, go clubbing, go drinking, date, you get the picture?

q) How is that people stay with their parents forever! Even after they are married…Do they ever move out?
a) Moving out of the parents home is not a concept in India. Indian families are a lot like Italian and Greek families in that matter. In Bombay though I’ve heard of young men and women moving out and renting their own place.
(more…)

The four best logos have been selected by city officials from over 2,000 entries. After some fine-tuning one will become the city’s logo

My favorite logo would still be the Red BEST Bus and people from all walks of life just hanging on wid their lives.

But these logos are cool too but I would have preferred it in 2 version Bombay & Mumbai like we have India & Bharat, no confusion just matter of choice or political affiliations.

Looking forward to wearing a Bombay/Mumbai Banian & Topi

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=2&articleid=232006235417500232006234846203#

What can be done about those stray vehicles which come & mar our cars?? Since my dad got the new honda city, I’v been exceptionally protective about it. The first time some biker came n crashed his bike right into the front.. I wasn’t around.. thankfully.. I still got hand of the registration number of the bike, tracked down who it was, and then nothing more could be done. the insurance agency took care of the damages, we paid 15% of it.. the premium was increased and that was that. the police could do nothing more than tht.

The next few times cars, trucks. bikes, wagons kissed my car.. all I could do was get out, scream, rant and take their registration number. the accused said sorry ma’am my mistake, and the traffic policeman let him just go.

This has happened so many times that I have no idea what more can be said, done or changed. mumbai streets will always remain like this. if not worse. I read somewhere that per day, 1300 cars acsended to the streets of mumbai, while the area remains the same. also one more road is dug up every day in mumbai. (just like me to remember such seemingly useless statistics)

Its obvious then that there will continuosly be accidents and grazings here.. hmm makes me wonder howcome I dont know the statistics for the number of accidents that happen in mumbai..

The traffic with all its garish lights..

But balancing the act is the highway which is truely a dream to ride the bike on ( PEAK HOURS NOT CONSIDERED) it feels lie the bike just zips on those roads like makhann… as smooth as cream..

Some roads in mumbai are built to perfection.. some flyovers, some highways, some areas..

Anyone worth his salt has definately been to reclamation in bandra,, the wide 4 lane roads.. the sweeping curve of the promenade.. couples dotted along the low sea level… every sunday bikes zoom off into dust for a mind numbing and razer fast race.. further along.. cruising thru the quaint bahdra village we come to the ever popular bandra bandstand… lord knows wht it is named after.. but I have heard rumors that a band used to stand on the green promenade here and serenade into the sunset on saturdays.. up ahead is a ruined fort.. which looks out into the open sea.. countless shoots have taken place there.. infact I considered making a short film there too. never materialized though!!

A view of banstand frm the ruined desolate fort.. with the sea crashing in..

The JJ flyover in town.. the one tht goes over manish market.. another sweeping stretch of road.. that feels like it should go on forever.. the worli seaface.. carter road..the couple infested backroads of lokhandwala and juhu..the small turning road which leads to versova.. there must b e a lot more.. all of which i cant possibly know coz afterall…
MUMBAI IS TOO BIG TO KNOW AS THE BACK OF UR PALM!!

Muharram marks the first month of the Islamic Calendar. On sighting the new moon, Shia Muslims do not celebrate the beginning of the new year. Instead they don black clothes, bring out the alams and begin a period of mourning which lasts for two months and eight days. They mourn the death of Imam Hussain and his kin in the battle of Kerbala in present day Iraq. On new years eve, Shia Muslims bring out the alams (see picture) and hoist them in tiny ashurkhanas* in their homes. Some hold a majlis* in their homes for which they invite other Shias. After the majlis they distribute tabbaruk* to those who attend it.

The heart of Muharram in Mumbai is at Mughal Masjid on Sandhurst Road along the harbour line. Every night at 9 for the first ten days of Muharram, Maulana Athar Mirza, popularly called as Athar Saheb* reads a majlis at Mughal Masjid at Sandhurst Road which is attended by thousands of faithfuls. He is very progressive minded, a gifted speaker and has been reading majlis at Mughal Masjid since over thirty years! He is also a favorite with the listeners – both young and old, since he speaks about present day issues.

The final day of Muharram (Ashura) is a public holiday. Shia Muslims fast on this day. This fast is a partial fast or a faakhah. A faakhah is different from the normal fast – it is kept without having a sehri in the morning as in Ramazan fasts. Huge processions of Shias emerge from nearly every corner of Mumbai in the afternoons, starting at one mosque and ending at another. Men wearing black clothes performing maatam* walk barefoot on the roads, the crowd being lead by the bearers of the alams. These alams, unlike the ones installed in Shia homes, are tall and have to be maneuvered to avoid the overhead wires and trees.

Maatam is usually accompanied by cries of “Ya Hussain” or “Ya Ali” or sometimes nauhas, which are poems about the battle of Kerbala. Nadeem Sarwar is one such popular poet, but there are several tradional nauhas which have been passed down generation after generation and are recited every year. The Bohri Muslims who also observe Muharram, hold a tiny play or a shabi in which they recreate the battlefield of Kerbala. I recollect watching a proud white horse as Zuljanah (or Duldul) and a new born as Ali Asghar in a Bohri procession. It was so real, it made me cry.

The most unusual feature of these Muharram processions is the practice of self-mutilation, which is an exaggerated form of maatam. Maatam is sometimes done with blades or daggers, drawing blood. The braver ones use daggers to slash their foreheads, and this practice is called as ‘kham ka maatam’. The injury is so grave at times that the they require immediate medical attention. Most of the processions are accompanied by ambulances incase of a medical emergency. But these self inflicted wounds heal remarkable well and fast, without any medical aid. The scars last on most people forever. After the procession ends, the men break their fasts with khichdi* and achaar*, served in huge plates. Four or five people eat out of each plate. Although this practice of multiple people eating from the same plate is a Bohri tradition, it is observed among Shias as well.

Another peculiar feature of Muharram are the sabeels installed at street corners by Shias. A sabeel* is a table on which pots of water are kept. This water is meant to quench the thirst of weary travelers which can remind them of the thirst the army of Imam Hussain had to undergo. Some sabeels stock Ruh-Afza and Rasna as well.

During Muharram, Shia Muslims abstain from luxuries. They do not watch TV or movies, they do not wear festive colors like red and yellow, and do not start with anything new. For most Shias, the period of mourning ends on the tenth day of Muharram, but the more religious ones observe this period of mourning till the end of the month of Muharram, through the month of Safar and the first eight days of Rabi-ul-Awal.

On the tenth of Muharram (February 9), thousands of people participate or watch the processions in the bylanes of Sandhurst Road. The smell of blood mixes with the smell of rose water as bystanders watch blood splattered backs, and the sunlight stream in through the trees, forming diamonds in the sky as they watch the tall alams. The bystanders or sometimes even the participants comprise of not only Shia Muslims but varied religions. If you are reading this, and if you are curious about Muharram, you can feel free to watch the processions like many others do. You do not have to be Shia, not even Muslim to watch and understand. But if you still feel a little intimidated, you can wear black to blend in with the others. Women will feel not so out of place if dressed in a dark colored shalwar kameez, as you will not find many dressed in western outfits there.

To reach there, you must get off at Sandhurst Road Station and walk it up to Dongri’s Chaar Nal. Do not attempt to cross the tracks at Sandhurst Road station as it is located on a bridge, and crossing tracks can be risky here. Follow the crowd, be a part of it.

As Pinaki puts it: “The emotions and gore of Muharram turn many people away and reinforce stereotypes about Islam. Being a non-Muslim I was warned against going out into the streets to shoot among people thought of as religious fanatics, but it is only through contact and understanding of different cultures that mutual respect, and peace, can be earned. I came home blood-splattered, but unharmed.”

***

Translations:
ashurkhanas – temples
tabarruk/nyaaz/prasad – sacred offerings
saheb – Sir
maatam – beating of ones chest to express grief
khichdi – spicy rice
aachar – pickle
sabeel – spring of fresh water

Pictures:

An Ashurkhana with Alams in it:

Tall alams heading the procession at Andheri. Notice that the alams are nearly as tall as the palm tree.

A demonstration alongwith the Muharram procession. (This is Mumbai’s way of demonstrating – peacefully)

Maatam with blades

Bloodied backs, the smell of blood and rose water, mixes with cries of Ya Hussain.

A Sabeel:

Sandhurst Road, a Taxi Ride later::

Watchful policemen. They were quite pleased about the peaceful procession.

A sabeel run by the Shiv Sena (notice the tiny orange flags?) Such harmony can be found only in Mumbai!

***

I invite cross-posts on Muharram from metroblogggers of other cities.

Looking for rare music CDs, used cds, vinyl records and hard to find & out-of-print LPs and record albums in Mumbai ? Not to mention all this at prices that would be best described as cheap. I know just the place.

D.N Road (Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road) is lined with hawkers and most of them only help in destroying what is truly a magnificent urban corridor. They peddle fake watches, flimsy Chinese electronics, porn, pirated DVDs and computer games. Nothing original except for this tiny stall that sells rare music and he’s got quiet a collection.

LPs range from Rs 125 to Rs 150 but you can haggle it down to around 100 Rs. All the merchandise is in good condition. The address is a little tricky. You’ll find him at the corner near ‘Suvidha Restaurant’ at the start of D.N Road after the right turn to New Excelsior. What I suggest is that you walk from Capitol Cinema (opp C.S.T) towards Flora Fountain and you’ll hit this guy a few blocks down.