Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pic/Uday Devrukhkar

Pinga Ga Pori

Resplendent in traditional attire, a woman is clicked at Shaniwar Wada in Pune

POULT vault to palladium

Prashant Issar

Prashant Issar, the man behind hit indian eatery Ishaara, is back with a new eatery called POULT. The quick service restaurant at Palladium, will offer three types of food categories - POULT including golden crispy chicken, POULTER with burgers, sandwiches, paninis and wraps or the POULTEST, which are crafted gourmet burgers.

The interiors at POULT

You can also get a beer or a glass of wine to go with your choice. "POULT is a new concept in India - lounge in a beautiful restaurant and enjoy good burgers, wraps, paninis and chicken. If you are a vegetarian, we have options for you too," says Issar. POULT opens its doors this week.

Pat on back for the toast of cricket

Pat Cummins, the astute Aussie captain. Pic/Getty Images

Indian Premier League-15 fever all set to grip India and other parts of the world notwithstanding, Australia's Pat Cummins is deservedly the toast of the cricketing world. Not many captains go to Pakistan and win a Test series there. Our Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly (Dravid led initially before regular captain Ganguly recovered from injury) did so in 2004 while Cummins on Friday became only the third Australian captain after Richie Benaud and Mark Taylor to fashion a Test series triumph in Pakistan. Both stalwarts are firmly placed in the great captains category and Cummins has the looks of a fine leader. But to enhance his credentials he would have to win a Test series in India in due course and that's a challenge which will challenge him. Can't wait to have you on our shores, Pat.

A sanitation drive for women police force

With his Mumbai-based NGO, Habitat for Humanity India, which primarily works towards affordable housing for lower-income groups, Dr Rajan Samuel, 60, began another project earlier this year - a sanitary intervention programme for women in the Mumbai police force. "Mumbai police has been at the forefront, maintaining law and order in the city, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In most police stations, the women, who at times work for 12 hours at a stretch, do not have access to clean washrooms," says Samuel, Managing Director of the NGO, who embarked on this project earlier this year and has upgraded the sanitation facilities for women in Nagpada and Byculla police stations. Spread across 163 sq feet each, these sanitation facilities offer washrooms, a bathing area, a storage space and a restroom comprising bunk beds. "The upgrade is expected to benefit five officers and 35-50 constables at Nagpada police station and 45-50 constables at Byculla police station. The programme will be expanded to other police stations in Mumbai in a phased manner," adds Samuel.

Winning awards in medicine

Dr Nirmal Surya, a neurologist practicing since 1990 at Saifee hospital and Bombay Hospital, will be honoured in Seattle next month with the Kenneth M Viste, Jr, MD, Patient Advocate of the Year Award, for dedicating his career to epilepsy patients through free weekly clinics for those below the poverty line. "Thank you to all my patients who have kept their faith in me, followed all advice given to them, and supported all my efforts over the years," he said.

Another great loss for city

Before

A picturesque Parsi property at Bandra Bandstand, which has a long history dating back to the early 1900s, when social worker Shirinbai Mancherji Cama started the Bandra Parsi Convalescent Home here, is finally being razed. The property, as earlier reported, was sold by a Parsi trust for R350 crore to a developer. Debasish Chakraverty, who is passionate about the history of Bandra and Santa Cruz, recently took to Instagram to share the last remaining vestiges of the structure, where demolition work has already begun.

After

"From what I know, this is an Edwardian structure [popular during the reign of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, and known to be less ornate than Victorian architecture]. We are not going to this see this kind of structure again. Architecturally and historically, it's a massive loss," says Chakraverty. "Since I grew up around the neighbourhood, I remember seeing this mansion as a kid, and at the time, we really took it for granted. Now, it's heartbreaking to see it go."