• Drunken driving.
• Use of cell phone while driving.
• Not wearing helmets
• Disregarding seat belts.
• Disobeying traffic signals.
• Exceeding speed limits etc.

"Think before you Drink & Drive"

"Shortcut to Shamshan Ghaat"

Sadak Chaap, an exhibition of furniture painted with images of street sights at Kala Ghoda

The streets of Kala Ghoda are alive ... not with the sound of music, but with the sights and colour that make the heritage district so dear to many of us. I especially love the new design introduced by the “T-shirts with bite”, paying tribute to the missing black horse with dark humour by depicting three coloured horses capitoned Red Ghoda, Green Ghoda and Blue Ghoda on the black

tee – and then pointing to a black space below, suggesting the unseen Kala Ghoda!

It’s also heartening to see the vibrantly decorated Chat Masala buggy drawn by a black horse, ready to take prospective customers on a short tour of the heritage precinct before dropping them off in royal style at the restaurant located near the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Though I spent a couple of days last week stepping in and out of galleries and feasting on the smorgasbord of lectures, workshops and events served up at the Kala Ghoda Art Festival, I found the sight of art spilling out on to be pavements most uplifting. The pavement encircling the Jehangir Art Gallery makes a colourful spectacle, with its display of contemporary Indian art.

Then there’s Sadak Chaap, a unique exhibition of furniture painted with images of street sights, conceptualized by Meher Bijlani of Artquest, outside the Army and Navy building.

Even as the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival draws to a close after nine days of music, poetry, readings, theatre, art, films, talks, lectures, walks, workshops and food, Mumbai’s beloved festival nearly didn’t take place. With the recent 24-hour loudspeaker ban in the Kala Ghoda area, the association was faced with dilemma of canceling or going ahead within the constraints of the ban imposed. The decision to go ahead came as a result of the outpouring of public support

and encouragement, conviction of the sponsors coupled with a conviction that a public festival of five years of standing simply cannot buckle under. The festival itself has led to several other citizen’s initiatives, which enrich Mumbai’s artistic and cultural sensibilities. From painted benches to street art and paper mache, from old films and theatre to rock bands, Nitin Sonawane’s lens travels through the festival and captures those moments.

Lungi Seller

Mangala Bai MBBS

Sabzi Wali

Main Nagin Tu Sampera

Time Pass ....

ENT Specialist

And there's no need hide trunks under your bed, transform them by painting it in bright colours

If you have a beachside house, a sea-facing apartment or one that is prone to termites, you need to get is treated immediately before the damage spreads. Meanwhile, I suggest you use metal trunks for storage of

precious documents and irreplaceable treasures... or even books and board games – rather than wooden chests or cupboards.

Only, make sure that the edges are rounded rather than razor sharp straight... or you may get yourself into some scrapes. And there’s no need to hide these trunks under your bed. Transform them into a casual seating by covering them with thick colourful rugs, or use one as a focal point or a kitschy coffee table by paining it in bright colours – like the playful ‘BEST’ bus displayed by ARTQUEST Gallery (Tel: 2150220 / 083 / 118) during the Kala Ghoda Art Festival. For the children’s room, bright balloons and clowns or even smiley faces would work very well... Or you could go in for a more understated theme like a midnight blue sky with yellow moon and silver stars.