GENRE: Features

Like everything else, COVID-19 took the sheen off Maximum City during Ganesh Chaturthi as well. Celebrations, laughter and songs would have been in the air, if not for the lockdown.In Mumbai, usually the festivities go on for 11 days, when roads are blocked by massive pandals, music blares through loud speakers and groups of people dance their way to the beaches to immerse the elephant-headed God. Well before the festival, the government issued standard operating procedures, aiming to avoid crowds and the spread of the virus. They restricted the height of large idols that are generally housed in community pandals,…

In the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2015 and the drought that hit Chennai, the focus on conservation of water bodies has been amplified. The many lakes of Chennai that have suffered years of neglect have begun to get a fresh lease of life with restoration efforts taking place across the city. The Environmentalist Foundation of India is an NGO that has been playing an active role in the restoration of lakes along with other non-profits and civic agencies including the Greater Chennai Corproation and Chennai Smart Cities Limited. While lake restorations of this scale are multi-year, ongoing activities,…

Chennai has made global news over the past few years for its woes with water. First, it was the destructive floods of 2015 that saw most of the city under water for days, as a result of excessive rains and poor reservoir management. Then came the drought of 2019, where major parts of the city went without drinking water for weeks as deficit rainfall the previous year played havoc on water availability. Water has become a major talking point when it comes to discussing Chennai's livability. For a city with a storied history, could it be that the past offers…

While the Tamil Nadu government has extended the lockdown till August 31st, urban communities in Chennai are preparing to strengthen their resilience to handle side effects of such a prolonged period of lockdown and restrictions. How is the pandemic affecting them? What are the lessons learned? Swati Amar meets people from different neighbourhoods of Chennai: Royapuram and the neighbouring areas Chennai Zone 5 comprises Royapuram, George Town, Mannadi, Sowcarpet and areas adjoining the Government General Hospital and Madras Central Station. Head & chief diabetologist at M V Hospital for Diabetes Royapuram and president-elect at D-Foot International Dr Vijay Vishwanathan says,…

For the first time in history, the Madras Week celebrations have moved online this year, under threat of the pandemic. When we look back at the history of Chennai, or erstwhile Madras, it is not just historical landmarks and heritage sites that stand out, but also its journey of evolution, and the various things people identify the city with. Healthcare, for example, in which the city has always played a pioneering role, so that it's come to be recognised as a Mecca of healthcare today. A very interesting story in this regard is that of the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology…

Even the remover of all obstacles, Lord Ganesha, has not been able to come to the aid of the makers of his idols this year. As Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, traditional Ganesha idol makers like Sanket Kumbhar, Dheeresh Naik, Haresh Mhatre, can only hope that the Lord will make the coming weeks less harsh. Looks unlikely though, especially as the government has restricted all public gatherings and festivities that the city’s various Ganesh mandals, their main customers, would normally organise. The numbers tell the story. “In the years gone by, all my family members would come together and make about 3,000-3500…

Yesterday was Janmashtami, a day when residents of Mumbai pour out on the streets to cheer Lord Krishna on his birthday. They dance jubilantly in groups, eat snacks with neighbours and most importantly, compete to break the Dahi Handi. Or the earthen pot filled with curd, young Krishna's favourite. Sadly though, everything mentioned above is impossible to do this year. Crowds are at the top of 'what's prohibited due to COVID-19' list. Let the pandemic not dampen your spirits, we bring you some photos from 2015, which showcase all the fun and joyous celebrations of Dahi Handi. This is what…

In the ongoing Covid crisis, accessible green, open spaces are a dream for many city dwellers. And yet, there is burgeoning work on the profound positive impacts of urban green spaces on the physiological and psychological health of city dwellers. Despite being polluted, dammed, encroached and thwarted, rivers continue to be free and open public places. Today more than ever, rivers, riverbanks, floodplains and bridges are an invaluable resource for any Indian City. This momentous service is ignored in our riverfront development projects, metro and road plans and city development plans which encroach upon rivers. Green, open riverbanks in India…

Ayesha is a 7th standard student at a Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) school at Chembur Naka. While earlier, she used to dress up and rush to school, these days, she begins her day with unread WhatsApp messages. Typically, the messages contain educational video links, homework assignments, and activities sent by her teachers in subject-wise WhatsApp groups. Ayesha watches the videos to understand a concept, completes assignments in her notebook, and uploads pictures on the appropriate WhatsApp group. The messaging app, previously used by her mother to stay in touch with friends and family, is a substitute for Ayesha's…

When the lockdown was initially announced on March 24th, many in the art fraternity failed to grasp its impact. Innovative installation artist Hetal Shukla was in fact still considering his trip to Dubai and scheduling his sponsored exhibition on 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi in Germany. As the lockdown kept on getting extended, the 150 artworks on Gandhi stayed put at Mani Bhavan, air travel got restricted and today he is wondering how he will pay his six-odd staff, who have been with him for over two decades. "I managed to pay their April salaries but slashed it thereafter since I am struggling myself,"…