Meet the Black horse and the Cherry tree

Namaste dear Mumbo Jojos!

It is the time of the year when the quirk levels of the city go way up! It’s time to don your artsy hat… it’s time for ‘The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival’! Started in 1999, the festival goes on for nine days every year ( 5-13 February this year).

Ambey-se darr

An installation showing the past and the present means of transport

The entrance to Rampart Row(an interactive installation)

 The Festival is organized by the Kala Ghoda Association (a non-profit organization). The events comprise of installations or visual arts, dance and music performances, theatre, cinema, literature, seminars and workshops, heritage walks, special events for children and stalls selling thousands of products ranging from paintings to chocolates.

I'll poke you

I visited the place on a Sunday and God, it was crowded! The entire city seemed to have gathered to witness little bursts of art from every possible corner of the Kala Ghoda precinct; be it tree trunks pavements or a makeshift stage. The installations this year included scrap metal sculptures by Ilyas Ahmed, ‘I’ll poke you’ by Meghna Loke, ‘post boxes’ by Vivek Sonawane, a satirical installation called ‘Ambey se Darr’ by Hetal Shukla and many more. The entrance of the festival area (Rampart Row) was marked by an interactive archway installation by Puneet Bhatnagar called Mumbai for creativity where any could put up a painting or anything made by themselves. Another 3D multimedia exhibit by Samar Jodha throws light on the Bhopal gas tragedy. It is a walk through metal container with 3D photographs accompanied by sounds of crickets, gas leak and finally choking. Other than the installations there are workshops, dance performances, music gigs every day. And they are all free to attend! Do make it a point to visit the stalls. Though a bit heavy on the pocket; we guarantee you truly unique finds.

Scrap metal installation by Ilyas Ahmed

It was really heart-warming to find people belonging to different age and economic groups all come together and celebrate art and the city.

So go ahead get a shot of QUIRK at the Kala Ghoda Arts festival!

Till next time QUIRK it up!

-Master Dhoro Zoro

When art and luxury collide

Howdy Mumbo Jojos,

What do you get when you combine philosophy, art, luxury and hospitality? The most unique hotel in India, that’s what! And it’s not just us who are saying that. The people behind IHEA (Indian Hospitality Excellence Awards) think so too. Presenting Le Sutra, the world’s first Indian Art Hotel. And it’s in OUR city!

Le Sutra is a 16-room boutique hotel in Bandra where each room, wall and art installation depicts an aspect of the Indian philosophy and ethos. Sutra means thread in Sanskrit signifying that which binds everything together.

The three levels of the Hotel represent the Gunas which sum up the world view in Indian philosophy namely Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. These are the attributes which make up a man; his thoughts and emotions. The rooms are an extension of the Gunas and represent their various faces. Each room is either based on a character or a philosophy.

Tamas  is related to excessiveness and represents that part which craves indulgence and gratification. The rooms on this floor are thus extravagant and colourful. On the Tamas floor you’ll find  Ravana (the Ramayana villan), Maya(Illusion) and Vaasna(Sensuality).

Ravana

Rajas is the desire to acquire something that one does not have and hence leads to activity. Thus the rooms are stylish and vibrant. Rajas has Dyuutya (Gambling), Kathak(Story Teller, also the art form), Sringar(Adornment) and Karna (in many ways, the hero of Mahabharata).

Kathak

Sattva means balance, order or purity and represents that part of the being which is calm and controlled and seeks higher level of attainment. Thus the rooms are minimalistic and aesthetic. It’s rooms are Prakriti (Nature), Shuddhi (Purification), Nirvan (Nirvana) and Mandal (Shree Yantra).

Nirvana

The decor of each room is kept true to its name with Ravana  having a chair complete with horns and a sceptre whereas Vaasna  has miniature Khajurao  paintings and a Yoni lamp. Kathak  has a Sarangi  chair and art installations of ‘The Dancing feet’, ‘Peti’ and ‘Dholak’ and Nirvana has a chair inspired by the Sanchi Stupa  and Khadau, a symbol of control.

Vaasna

Karna

The Hotel boasts of a gallery Gallery leSutra which hosts art exhibitions, book readings, supper theatre and elite events regularly and also has a day spa called Angdai. What’s more is that it has Out of the Blue and Olive Bar and Kitchen for dining options!

It's been designed by 18-25 designers, artists, philosophers, curators and visualizers in the country and is a perfect representation of Indian art and philosophy in a contemporary form.

A room here would cost you around Rs.12, 000 a night. I know it’s a little steep but there is no price to pay for luxury, is there? :D

Personally, I am SO tempted to just take a vacation and spend a weekend in Le Sutra! Aaah...I’m in dream land already!

So until next time, remember to QUIRK UP!

For more information, check out: http://www.lesutra.in/

-Master Blincca

not for Lepidopterophobics

Hullo there all our Quirkers!

Sun rays streaming down through foliage of trees, flowers purple yellow and of all the colours of the rainbow and BUTTERFLIES…a lotta them, fluttering away to glory! This image seems impossible to find amidst the concrete maze of Mumbay doesn’t it? Well QUIRK AND THE CITY to the rescue!

All you nature lovers who have lost all hope or even those tired souls who are desperately trying to find the colours of nature in a mess of cold steel and glass…we have a butterfly park for you! Yes, close to Mumbay!

The Ovalekar Wadi Butterfly garden is located on the Ghodbunder Road in Thane near Suraj Water Park. An initiative of Rajendra Ovalekar, who got encouraged after attending a program by Bombay Natural History Society, he converted his two acres of agricultural land into a butterfly garden. Assisting him was India’s foremost butterfly expert, Isaac Kehimkar.

The butterflies here are not bred under artificial conditions.He started with cultivating plants that would provide food and a breeding ground for butterflies, hence making them stay. The nearby Yeoor hills add to the butterfly reserve of the park. 

It is best for first timers to take a guided tour by Ovalekar. 

You first get a gist of the lifecycle of butterflies and then start spotting them!

Photographers..get those cameras out! It is best to come early in the morning as butterflies become increasingly active as the day warms up.

The garden has more than 70 species of butterflies and is also visited by migrant butterflies sometimes, so you might be in for some surprises!

Some of the easily spotted species-

Common Sailor

Common Jezebel

Great Eggfly

Blue Oak Leaf

Common Rose

Great Orange Tip

Peacock Pansy

Breakfast with Butterflies conducted by BNHS(Ovalekar's earlier employers)

With Ovalekar’s help, one can understand the camouflaging and mimicry the butterflies undertake to ward of predators.

The park is open from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sundays, the park charges an entry fee of Rs 50 per head. For large groups, Ovalekar can arrange for simple breakfast at Rs 25 per head, with adequate advance notice. 

I really had to fight the urge to run behind these colourful beauties…so go ahead and plan a day of fresh air and some little flight fantasies!

Until the next QUINK… quirk it up! 

Ovalekar Wadi Butterfly Garden, Ghodbunder Road, Thane(W); Call +91 98 2077 9729, +91 98 6925 6054. 

Their facebook link

Also check http://www.ovalekarwadi.tk/ 

-Master Dhoro Zoro.

p.s. Lepidopterophobia is fear of butterflies :D

Flaming-oh !!

Bird lovers rejoice !! This one’s for you. 

Sewri bay, a relatively unknown, and rather unattractive, area of Mumbai is home to the very attractive flamingoes during October to March every year. Whether you’re a bird lover or not, this place is definitely one of the prettiest sights you would ever see in Mumbai.

The best time to arrive here is early in the morning between high tide and low tide and just before sunrise, which, by the way, is also a must-see while you’re here. You might have to be a little patient for the flamingoes to arrive. But when they do, the beautiful pink (some are even blackish-brown) flamingoes make for an arresting sight. However, what is not pretty is to see these birds feeding in the water that is littered with plastic bottles and all kinds of garbage. Appearing alongside the murky brown mudflats, the flamingoes momentarily make the dirty bay look wonderfully spectacular.

You not only get to see the flamingoes here, if you’re lucky, you might even spot Kingfishers, Seagulls and Parakeets. If you’re a genuine bird-lover, this would be enough reason for you to jump out of bed and head to Sewri the very next morning. Even though these pretty birds of a feather flock together, it would be a good idea to carry your binoculars because they might be a little further away.

                                             

If you wish to go Flamingo Spotting, you can take the harbour line train to Sewri and then take a taxi to this mudflat near the Colgate factory. If you’re worried about how to get there, fret not. The BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) organizes flamingo spotting tours regularly and you can get in touch with them. They have a flamingo watch lined up on February 6, 2011.

Get ready folks with our binoculars in hand and let’s go Flamingo Watching.

Until next time, Quirk up. 

BNHS Website: http://cecbnhs.wetpaint.com/

- Master Gayu Panda

BUS kya?

Howdy Mumbo Jojos,

We thought it’s time to have some REAL fun! It involves you, your friends and a BEST bus. Confused? Don’t be.  Surely you’ve heard of the phrase ‘partying Mumbaiya ishtyle’ :D

Bus? Party? Am I reading right, you say? Yes, because today’s quirk of the day is: party atop a bus!

Did you know that the Brinhanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (yes, that’s the full form of BEST, guys...don’t gasp) rents out open decker buses by the kilometre? It’s pretty cool if you ask me and no, it’s not just for kiddie birthday parties, you cynical been-there-heard-it-but-didn’t-try-it ers.

Just imagine calling your friends and telling them that you’re giving a party on a BEST bus! They might think that you’re either totally mental or totally bored. But they’ll DEFINITELY think you’re cool and quirky! Positives :D

Still not convinced? I saw that coming! So, here’s a list of pros

1)       You can eat, drink and make merry while enjoying the sights of the city which let’s face it, we hardly do. I suggest the Marine Drive stretch all the way to NCPA.

2)     Picture this: You’re air guitaring to Slash with the wind in your hair and the Arabian Sea in the background. Legendary!

3)     It’s something to tell your grandkids about. “Kids, I remember that time when I partied till I dropped atop a BEST bus”... sounds cool, doesn’t it? They’ll think so too.

4)     It’ll be unlike any party you’ve ever had.

Well, all I’m saying is that maybe the bus driver will frown upon all the merry-making ( but pleas of “Sorry Kaka” will take care of that :D) and the traffic might play devil (book it on a weekend and off peak hours), it’ll be an experience WORTH having, even if it’s bad (refer point no. 3)

An open decker bus on any day of the week or even a holiday will cost you Rs. 75 per km with a minimum charge of Rs. 3000.  The bus seats 79 people. You can hire per hour, half day or full day for a one-way or return journey. The day begins at 00.00 hrs and ends at 24.00 hrs. You can also hire a single-decker, a double-decker or an AC bus.

That’s all for this QUINK folks...I hope I’ll see many more of you floating by, yelling and screaming from atop BEST buses :D

Until next time, remember to QUIRK up!

For more information, check out: http://www.bestundertaking.com/hire_bus.asp

-Master Blincca

License to kill…errr..COOK

HULLO Mumbo Jojos!

The QUIRK masters had a meeting and decided to take the quirking a level up. We spoke about art, culture, beauty holidaying but not food. So here we serve you a platter of QUINK!

Would you fancy eating something that the Emperor of Japan has been officially forbidden not to for safety reasons? Would you like a plate of something that is 1200 times more poisonous than cyanide? Would you enjoy eating something that MIGHT paralyze your muscles leading to death by asphyxiation?

After all the ‘would yous’ if you're still interested in trying it …we have ‘FUGU’ for you!

Fugu or the blow fish is a Japanese delicacy. The fish gulps a lot of water, swelling up to a spiky balloon making it impossible to be swallowed by predators. However, the danger we are talking about is tetrodotoxin. One Fugu contains enough of this toxin to kill 30 people. Therefore, it has to be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat. Only chefs who have acquired a license after rigorous training are allowed to cook it. A Fugu chef has to sample the dish himself before serving it. The deaths that have been known to occur are due to illegal fishing and cooking of the fish.

Records reveal that 6.8 % deaths have occurred due to consumption in restaurants. In the last 10 years, 321 people have fallen ill and 26 people have died in Japan alone. The sale of this fish is forbidden in the European Union.

In Mumbay it is available at the oriental restaurant San Qi at the Four Seasons Hotel.

So go ahead and enjoy the taste of death!

Master Dhoro Zoro.

p.s. there is no antidote to this toxin ;)   

Flight of Fancy

Howdy Mumbo Jojos,

My dream is to fly 
Over the rainbow so high 
My dream is to fly 
Over the rainbow so high 

-Yves Larock

Yves may not have written this song about his desire to fly but it fits that description perfectly. And if you have that desire too, I’m here to tell you how to fulfil it, right here in the city!

I know what you’re thinking. Flying, in Mumbai?  Well, yes. But not the kind of flying you’re imagining (I know we all loved Top Gun but there is no shortcut to becoming a pilot...YET). I’m talking about paragliding!

Paragliding is a thrilling and adrenalin-pumping sport in which a person can fly by maneuvering a hand glider. There are many types of paragliding but the ones available in Mumbai are mountain/hill paragliding and winching. These are classified according to the type of launch: from a hilltop using natural resources or from the ground using the wind and external support.  

Basic, intermediate and certification courses are all available. The basic course varies from a day to a three-day workshop. This is meant for people who want to try it out for fun. The intermediate course is longer and trains you to fly without supervision and earns you a novice level certificate. Although you don’t need a license to paraglide in India, you cannot fly everywhere. Thus a certification course gives permission to fly in specific locations. However, prerequisites for this are ownership of flying equipment and experience of completing at least 50 flights in the country.

The basic course can cost you anywhere between Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 9,500 depending on the duration and the institute.

Now I’m sure you’re dying to find out where it happens. The answer is: Space Apple, Virar! Well, it’s not technically Mumbai but it’s as close as can be. Virar is ideal as it has vast open lands, many different types of hills and favourable weather conditions in the morning and evening.

If you want to go away for the weekend and try it out, Nirvana Adventures, Kamshet (110 kms away) is the place.  Their package is inclusive of food and accommodation.

Although these institutes have licensed instructors, be sure to double check safety measures and ask questions in case of doubts.

Well, itching to try it out? Me too...come to think of it, I’m free this weekend :D

Well...that’s all for this QUINK folks...until next time...I believe I can fly :D

And remember to Quirk up!

-Master Blincca

Check out

Space Apple: www.spaceapple.com

Nirvana Adventures: www.flynirvana.com

China Calling

Ni hao! (Chinese for Hello)

This is not some post about a Chinese restaurant if that’s what the title made you think. Chinese restaurants are so widespread in Mumbai, you can never be too far from one. And as you know, we do not tell you about the usual stuff that you already know about.

So what do you do on a lazy day when you’re looking to get away from the maddening crowds of the bustling city of Mumbai? Want some peace and quiet? Yes, I’m talking temples today!! So you might have visited the famous Siddhivinayak Temple and the Haji Ali dargah, must-dos on every remotely religious tourist’s itinerary, now how about a visit to the Chinese temple in Mumbai? Did you even know there existed one?
Huan ying (welcome) to Kwan Tai Shek, Mumbai’s only Chinese temple.

Kwan Tai Shek sits huddled up in the quiet lanes of the Mazagaon Docks, far away from the chaos of the city.  This Chinese shrine is more than a 100 years old and buzzes with devotees on the day of the Chinese New Year. At first sight, you might not think that the place bears the slightest resemblance to a temple. It is only when you enter, and find yourself surrounded by the red walls of the tiny temple, do you feel that you’re inside one. Red has been used consciously on the walls as the Chinese consider it auspicious and the temple is devoid of the typical ornamental decorations. Right at the entrance there is a striking picture of the Chinese God, Quan Kung, the mighty and righteous warrior. On the right hand side of the entrance there is a huge drum, which seems to be serving the purpose of a bell, like in the Hindu temples.

The temple, maintained by the donations given by the devotees, is fast losing its funds because the number of devotees has reduced drastically. Where scores of people used to pay homage in the shrine, today the visits are restricted to the Chinese New Year only and this one-of-a-kind shrine is now in danger of becoming a forgotten tradition.

So, K’wan (c’mon) you Mumbo Jojo’s, Tai your shoelaces and Shek your limbs, let us not wait for the Chinese New Year and pay a visit to the Kwan Tai Shek temple today. All you people wanting to pray and ask for forgiveness for your past sins (read: all those epic beer drinking nights you’ve had, tsk tsk) here’s your chance to pray to Quan Kung for salvation. After all, its not everyday that you get to pray in a Chinese temple in India.
That’s all I’ve got for you today. Zai jian (Goodbye)

P.S. Now you’ve also learnt to say hello and goodbye in Chinese!  
      

Until next time guys, Quirk it up !!
-Master Gayu Panda 

Tonight's gonna be a good night

Howdy Mumbo Jojos,

One of the reasons we love our city so much is because of its night life, right? The vibe and the energy are so addictive! But aren’t there times you wish the night life experience had more to offer? I bet there are many nights when you’re in the mood to let you hair down and do something different but are bored of the same scene. That’s why I feel as if we, the quirk masters, and the guys behind The Bombay Elektrik Project are brothers from another mother (except that we are girls :D)

The Bombay Elektrik Project (BEP) is a company which provides alternative nightlife entertainment solutions. I love that word alternative. It signifies everything BEP is. It’s an alternative to and freedom from the run-of-the-mill night life options in the city. It’s unique, edgy and entertaining as hell!

So you have Monday Night Poetry Slam, where amateur poets present their work to be judged to win cash and bragging rights for the month, Monday Shorts, a short films screening event showcasing everything from world cinema to queer cinema, open mic nights for budding musicians and amateur stand-up comics (called Unplugd and Krack U Up respectively), beer pong (yes, we finally have your attention, don’t we?) and live gigs by bands from India(such as Shaair and Func, MIDIval Punditz) and all over the world in genres like reggae, electronica, indie, jazz, African music and other such exotic stuff!

What’s amazing about BEP is not only that they organize these events but also that they are serious about providing a platform for talent, be it music, poetry or comedy. They work at the grass root level, organizing workshops in music, film, poetry and art.

Their events are held all over the city but particularly at Café Goa Bistro and Grill, Bandra and Wink at the Taj President, Cuffe Parade.

Some of their upcoming events are

Monday Night Slam on February 7th at Café Goa- This time BEP is going to hold the event according to official poetry slam format as they want to prepare their poets for the International Arena for Spoken Word. So, the poets will be judged by random audience members!

Mingle-A pub Quiz with a difference on February 16th at Café Goa: It’s more than a quiz. It’s an opportunity to meet new people who have the same interest as you-quizzing! Everyone will be assigned a table when they come in and the winning table at the end of the night will have their tab picked up by the venue.

Beer Pong- Happening very soon...

I feel like BEP has a cosmic connection with us party-maniacs in the city because they’ve read our minds so perfectly! All hail the great BEP!

Well, it’s time for me to wrap up here to go and unearth some other quirk treasures..

Until then, remember to QUIRK UP!

-Master Blincca

Check out The Bombay Elektrik Project on Facebook

 http://www.facebook.com/bombayelektrik

Café Goa- Agnelo Building, Khadeshwari Mandir Marg, Off St. John Baptist Road, Bandra (W),Mumbai

Wink- Taj President Hotel, G D Somani Rd, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai