EDITORS' PICK

"I have a vivid memory from my childhood when I was about 8 years old. My grandfather took me to the Hanging Gardens, and I was absolutely thrilled. The trees, the open spaces to run, the panoramic views from the top – it all convinced me that no other garden could possibly be as beautiful as this one. This was in the 1980s, and my grandfather passed away not long after that. But the dearest memories I have with him are of those moments in this garden, playing around while he watched from a distance." "I hadn't thought about that…

September has ended and we will soon bid goodbye to the monsoon season. Monsoons not only give new life to nature, but also drape the surroundings in lively greens. Starting now, we celebrate new lives, new crops and a lot of festivals. During monsoons, one can witness various interesting phenomena. One can hear frogs and toads croaking in and around rain puddles. A large number of butterfly species like Lime, Plain Tiger, Common Emigrant are spotted. Bees and moths also engage in extracting nectar from flowers that bloom in rain. Deep inside the forest, a lot of snakes come out…

Rani is a 12-year-old young girl studying in 6th grade. She has lived all her life in Ambedkar Nagar in Colaba. Her day usually begins at 5:00 am. In this informal settlement, water comes for two hours and given her family size of five, she and her mother have to ensure that is available for all. Rani’s mother is a daily wage worker and leaves for her work as early as 6:00-6:30 am. It is up to Rani to ensure enough water for the household. “Kabhi-kabhi paani nahi aata hai time pe, isliye main school se chutti leti hu,” (There…

No matter how tall its skyscrapers or pungent the sea's odour surrounding it, Mumbai, or any city, can be narrowly viewed as just an island that operates on its stomach. It has many mouths to feed and produces very little of it. It serves as a destination, port, and junction for things that pass through to other places with mouths to feed. The city is of the stomach, by the stomach, for the stomach. Everything we do, we do it for food. Here is a window into a few prayers, search, fuel and labour that goes into the food the…

Historically, Mumbai developed, progressed and got urbanised from the southern to the northern regions. This evolution encompassed the establishment of essential institutions such as schools, hospitals, government offices, and soon. However, as the cost of living in the southern parts or SOBO (south Bombay) escalated over the years, population settled in northern suburbs, commuting to work in the south. While this demographic shift might signify growth, it also highlights a challenge: the disparity between basic infrastructure availability and the overall well-being of citizens residing in these areas. As the urban population expanded northward, the existing amenities such as hospitals, did…

In its earlier avatar, Mumbai was known as ‘Heptanesia’, denoting a collective of seven islands, as named by Ptolemy in 150 AD. With the city being transformed from a cluster of islands into a unified mass in early 18th century, its enduring connection to the coastline beholds captivating marine biodiversity that lies right at our doorstep.  There exists a facet of Mumbai that remains shadowed within the towering buildings and lost between the burgeoning crowds. Often hailed as a ‘city that never sleeps’, it also holds a hidden truth: its shores too remain in a perpetual state of wakefulness.  The…

Black, foul-smelling, stagnant water - this is what one will find when they go in search of the Mambalam Canal which was once one of the significant freshwater canals in the city.  In its heydays, the canal used to carry surplus water from two major tanks - the Nungambakkam tank and the Mambalam tank - that existed some four decades ago. Due to urbanisation, the entire watershed area of these tanks now has residential and commercial establishments in it.  The path followed by the original canal starts near Valluvar Kottam and passes through T Nagar and CIT Nagar before draining…

As a young person growing up in Delhi, access to urban green spaces has been a rare treat. However, one place that holds immense sentimental value for me, as for countless other Delhiites, is the city’s much-loved Deer Park in the Hauz Khas area. The Delhi Deer Park is not just a recreational spot, but a sanctuary of peace in the heart of the bustling city. But now, much to our dismay and disappointment, this mini zoo is set to close, as the Central Zoo Authority has cancelled its recognition. Nearly 600 deer living in the park shall now be…

In June of 2021, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin introduced ‘Singara Chennai 2.0,’ an ode to past projects not finished under Singara Chennai 1.0. These initiatives have been centred around giving various parts of the city a facelift. As part of these efforts, beach beautification has been one of the areas of focus. Under Singara Chennai 2.0, the plan to revamp the city’s beaches has been dubbed ‘Project Blue.’  Agencies such as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) have since begun chalking out plans for the city’s various beaches. But these ideas come with some concerns for…

"My mother was a freedom fighter and so were her mother and her mother's mother." I read this quote by Aja Monet one day, and it made me wonder, "Do women ever achieve full freedom”? I came to Mumbai from my home in Raipur, Chattisgarh, after COVID to do a course in Media at a women’s college. It was strange for me that not many people even knew about the existence of Raipur. During my early days in Mumbai I had to explain to people that Raipur is the capital of Chhattisgarh and it is not in Jharkhand. A shift…