Category Archives: design

Busy streets, quiet insides: Peeking into chawl life in Parel, Mumbai

Obviously, I didn’t do much thinking about the architecture of Parel and other parts of central Bombay when I grew up there. Bombay of the ’80s had a distinct flavor about it. I remember it as very working class. The … Continue reading

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Posted in cities, Community, design, Heritage, Public spaces | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thinking urbanism: An evening at the BMW Guggenheim Mumbai Lab

To be in this part of Mumbai, the part that I remember rather well from my childhood, is sheer pleasure. After many many years, I visited Rani Bagh. Queen’s Gardens, later named Jijamata Udyan, is where the Mumbai Zoo is … Continue reading

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Is ‘Cities for People’ the new mantra? Takeaways from the ’100 Urban Trends’ report

“Urban thinking, whether related to architecture or urbanism, has become dramatically less focused on infrastructure, and more on the ultimate goal and reason for the existence of cities — that is, the well-being of the people that inhabit them and … Continue reading

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Posted in cities, Community, design, planning, Public spaces, Sustainability and climate change, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An afternoon of art and nostalgia @ Mandi House, New Delhi

Stolen moments of pleasure are always special. But often times, when you suddenly find yourself at a loose end with time on your hands, when a meeting gets over too soon for example, it’s hard to figure out what to … Continue reading

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Fun at the Dastkar Nature Bazar at Kissan Haat, Andheria Mod, Delhi- Oct 29, 2012

We visited the Dastkar Nature Bazar on Saturday. It’s been my favorite place for pre-Diwali shopping in Delhi, followed by the Blind School mela. Blind School’s advantage always has been its fixed location. You know where to go and what … Continue reading

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The world class Virasat-e-Khalsa museum: An architectural delight! Oct 2, 2012

Aside from having a good time with my girl friends, some new some old, the focus of my outing to the Doab region of Punjab was the chance to see the Virasat-e-Khalsa museum that opened in Anandpur Sahib only in … Continue reading

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The lure of Vanar Vatika @ other narrations: Shikshantar 10th b’day @ J Block- Sep 29, 2012

Yesterday, our family spent a few hours of sheer innocence and happiness in J Block of Shikshantar. While the big school presented the 10th anniversary of the school to parents in an exhibition mode, the pre-primary block’s experience was more … Continue reading

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Dumbed down education, dumb professionals, a numb future? Sep 20, 2012

The world has changed immensely since we went through the motions of being ‘educated’. not just in terms of technology and the amount of information available, but in the perspective of educationists now viewing the student as an active participant, … Continue reading

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Posted in cities, design, Education | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Kids and the absorption of art and culture: Trip to NGMA, Delhi- Sep 8, 2012

For a long time, I’ve had this idea of having bi-monthly outings for family and friends. And the past few years, I’ve steadily worked to bring the idea to fruition, though the frequency has been far lower than desired! These … Continue reading

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Posted in children, cities, Culture, design, Education, personal development, Public spaces | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

On-the-go pics of endearing Delhi landmarks in Connaught Place and elsewhere- Sep 6, 2012

It was a coincidence that I drove past Connaught Place today, after having read HT’s campaign in this morning’s paper to revive the city centre, which is lying in dug up shambles at this time. It’s a pity indeed, for … Continue reading

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