<h2>Veiled laughter</h2>
<p>Two brides exchange smiles during a ceremony as Jashn-e-Shah Saqlain completes 19 years of conducting mass weddings at YMCA ground in Agripada</p>
<h2>Canvas for Mumbai&rsquo;s wetland wonders</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Checkered-kneelback_e.jpg" alt="An illustration of Checkered Keelback" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>An illustration of Checkered Keelback</em></strong></p>
<p>To commemorate World Wetlands Day (February 2), city-based illustrator and naturalist Sefi George (below) released the final picture of a series of illustrations that document the biodiversity of Mumbai&rsquo;s wetlands and mangroves based on prompts by Wildspace Earth.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Snake_e.jpg" alt="A snake of the species at a garden in Dahisar" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>A snake of the species at a garden in Dahisar</em></strong></p>
<p>Inspired by the natural wonders in the mangrove area near her home in Dahisar, George&rsquo;s sketches establish a dialogue that seeks to spread awareness about the importance of these natural ecosystems.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Sefi-George_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;Once you discover the magic of wetlands, you&rsquo;ll be in complete awe of its biodiversity. People call these spaces, &lsquo;wastelands&rsquo;, or &lsquo;underdeveloped&rsquo; real estate but they deserve to be protected and preserved, for all the creatures that call it home,&rdquo; George &nbsp;told this diarist.</p>
<h2>Films for social change</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Soniya-pondcar_e.jpg" alt="Soniya Pondcar" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Soniya Pondcar</em></strong></p>
<p>City-based organisation, Collective Mumbai has started a new series of film screenings called Jan-Chitr. The series is a product of the rising urge to host discussions on art and cinema in accessible spaces in the city. &ldquo;We decided to create an alternate space for lovers of radical cinema,&rdquo; shared Soniya Pondcar, founder of Jan-Chitr.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Mohan-Joshi_e.jpg" alt="A still from Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho! pic courtesy/Youtube" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A still from Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho! Pic courtesy/Youtube</em></strong></p>
<p>The first screening that featured Saeed Akhtar Mirza&rsquo;s Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho! (1984), followed by a discussion on the gentrification of Mumbai, took place last weekend at a chawl near IIT-Bombay (Indian Institute of Technology) in Powai. Huma Namal, a PhD scholar and member of the collective explained, &ldquo;The discussions held after the screening revolved around the learnings from the film, and how it reflects today&rsquo;s political context.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Odia festivities in Mumbai</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Jhoti-comp_e.jpg" alt="Participants draw traditional rangolis" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Participants draw traditional rangolis</em></strong></p>
<p>To commemorate the onset of spring, members of Thane-based Aamari Odisha Cultural Society came together to celebrate Basant Panchami or Saraswati puja at a venue in Powai over the weekend. The event started with a puja followed by cultural performances, a rangoli-making competition and a traditional Odia feast.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Pooja_e.jpg" alt="A couple offers prayers during the puja" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A couple offers prayers during the puja</em></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;We have been celebrating Saraswati puja in Mumbai for 11 years now. Back home, Basant Panchami involves a great deal of celebration and fun fair. Here, it is just another way for us to stay connected with our roots,&rdquo; Sweta Praharaj Mohanty, a member of the association, told this diarist. From what started as a small group of housewives, the association has now grown to a full-fledged unit of 100 members who celebrate major Odia festivities with great zeal in the city.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Odissi-dance_e.jpg" alt="A moment from the Odissi performance" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A moment from the Odissi performance</em></strong></p>
<p>This year&rsquo;s Basant Panchami celebration featured art-based competitions, Odissi and Bharatanatyam performances, a devotional song session, a mythological skit on a regional lore along with a traditional feast of staple Odia fare like khechuri, khatta, ghanta, chuda ghassa and many more. &ldquo;We look forward to these celebrations as they not only strengthen the bond within the community but also offer exposure to the younger generation about Odisha&rsquo;s traditions, mythology, and art forms, which is extremely essential to keep one&rsquo;s heritage alive,&rdquo; she shared with us.</p>
<h2>Learning to groove upside down</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Ailyn-Ramos_e.jpg" alt="(Left) Ailyn Ramos corrects the posture of a student at a workshop in San Francisco. pic courtesy/INSTAGRAM" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>(Left) Ailyn Ramos corrects the posture of a student at a workshop in San Francisco. Pic courtesy/INSTAGRAM</em></strong></p>
<p>Khar-based Capoeira Academy will host Brazilian movement artiste Ailyn Ramos for a handstand workshop this Saturday. Ramos met Sunil Singh, aka Sucuri, the founder of Capoeira Academy over 10 years ago when she had visited the city. Singh and Ramos will collaborate to conduct a workshop at St Joseph Primary School in Bandra where participants will learn the foundations of handstand techniques.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/feb/Balance_e.jpg" alt="participants practice headstands during a previous workshop in Khar" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Participants practice headstands during a previous workshop in Khar</em></strong></p>
<p>Ramos is skilled at Capoeira, a unique Brazilian martial art form that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music, as well as other Afro-Brazilian martial arts. &ldquo;This will be our first time conducting this workshop in Mumbai, following which she [Ramos] will accompany us to our academy in Bengaluru for another edition of this workshop later this month,&rdquo; Singh shared with us.</p><p>
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