<h2>Blooming Curiosity</h2>
<p>Students huddle around bright sunflowers at the ongoing Mumbai Flower Festival at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>A win-win for Achyut Palav</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Achyut-Palav-art_e.jpg" alt="Calligraphy artworks featuring Indian scripts by Achyut Palav. PICS COURTESY/INSTAGRAM" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Calligraphy artworks featuring Indian scripts by Achyut Palav. PICS COURTESY/INSTAGRAM</em></strong></p>
<p>In a stroke of coincidence, veteran calligraphy artist Achyut Palav is celebrating two milestones at a time as the first month of the year draws to a close. Palav found a spot in the recently-announced Padma Shri awardee list by the Union Government merely two days before the launch of his flagship calligraphy book Akshar Bharati.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Palav-a_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;I was elated when the news of the Padma award came in. It has been a long journey spanning 40 years of working with ancient and modern Indian scripts. The goal has always been to bring these forgotten scripts to the fore. For me, these are not scripts, they&rsquo;re works of art,&rdquo; Palav (below) told this diarist between interactions with curious visitors at his ongoing exhibition at the Jehangir Art Gallery. The parallel exhibition that takes inspiration from the book and presents 35 calligraphy artists&rsquo; works encompassing ancient scripts like Brahmi and Ardhanagari alongside Gurmukhi, Kannada and Urdu will be on display at the gallery till February 3.</p>
<h2>Mayan tales in Mumbai</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Cecilia-Diaz_e.jpg" alt="Mayan author Cecilia Diaz" width="1280" height="720" /><br />Mayan author Cecilia Diaz</p>
<p>Tales as old as time echoed in the halls of the NCPA yesterday as Mexican author Cecilia Diaz of Mayan heritage descended upon the city for an evening of poetry hosted by the Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai. Hailing from the Chiapas highlands in Mexico, Diaz&rsquo;s words struck a chord with Mumbaikars through author Kiran Bhat&rsquo;s translations. &ldquo;I met Diaz and five other Mayan authors during my visit to Chiapas in 2021. Using Spanish as the common ground between the original Tzotzil language and English, we translated these works that speak of Mayan heritage, age-old practices and preserving their indigenous histories,&rdquo; Bhat (below) shared. The translated works can be found in Bhat&rsquo;s new book Uni Tseb Keremetik available on a popular e-store.</p>
<h2>Tower of light in SoBo</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Tower-light_e.jpg" alt="Rajabai Clock Tower is lit up during a test run. Pics courtesy/FCC" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Rajabai Clock Tower is lit up during a test run. Pics courtesy/FCC</em></strong></p>
<p>Mumbai Light Festival is the public art initiative of the Floating Canvas Company (FCC). Celebrating the 25th edition of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, the company will be hosting a projection mapping experience at the Rajabai Clock Tower this weekend. This is the ideal canvas due to its architectural grandeur and exquisite details. &ldquo;We will be featuring visuals that not only celebrate the heritage but also evoke a sense of joy and pride in the city we call home. The presence of Oval Maidan right in front of it offers viewers an amazing venue to immerse themselves in the experience,&rdquo; shared Aagam Mehta, co-founder of FCC.</p>
<h2>Delhi moves to Dharavi&rsquo;s tunes</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Dharavi-kid_e.jpg" alt="A young artiste works on the banner" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A young artiste works on the banner</em></strong></p>
<p>Dharavi&rsquo;s young artistes might soon lose count of their growing fanbase. During their visit to the Unitedworld Design Institute in Delhi yesterday, artistes from The Dharavi Dream Project performed a freestyle dance routine, followed by their new stage drama Dharavi Dreams. &ldquo;We performed at institutes in Ahmedabad last month, and we are now in Delhi. Taking our stories across the country has been a privilege,&rdquo; a crew member revealed. Project manager Zene Gandhi revealed, &ldquo;The children are buzzing with excitement. They pieced together an impromptu choreography at the airport as well.&rdquo; The Delhi-based collegians expressed their gratitude with a cloth banner that read: &lsquo;Gully Comes to Campus&rsquo;. &ldquo;The children had a field day painting it with handprints,&rdquo; Gandhi added. &nbsp;Now that&rsquo;s one way to leave a lasting imprint.</p>
<h2>Rhythms come together in Goa</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Mother-Cake_e.jpg" alt="Austrian band Mother&rsquo;s Cake in performance. PIC COURTESY/INSTAGRAM " width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Austrian band Mother&rsquo;s Cake in performance. PIC COURTESY/INSTAGRAM</em></strong></p>
<p>Goa is gearing up to host the first-ever India International Music Week, an India Music Exchange initiative, next week. This will feature a diverse line-up from over 30 countries. The line-up boasts an eclectic mix of genres, from Indian folk, to international sounds, with performances by indie pop musician Anoushka Maskey, French artiste Trace De Sa, Austrian band Mother&rsquo;s Cake, and many others.</p><p>
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