KHAKI Lab

Announcing Talk 309 #PopularPastimes – Traditional Games Of Goa by Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Toys and games are not just parts of our childhood (some would say even adulthood), but are also important artefacts of culture and heritage. In fact, several examples of toys and games made out of terracotta were found in the excavations of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. At our Online Talk #PopularPastimes, author, historian and librarian Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa revisits some of the traditional games that shaped her childhood in Goa. While not all are uniquely Goan – many are played in other parts of the world and even appear on international platforms – her focus will be on those closely connected to the Goan environment and way of life, such as bianni (played with cashew nuts), cartannim (played with empty cigarette boxes), tablam (played on a special board), and tiktem (which can be played either on a board or simply drawn on the floor.) 📍Sat | 21st March | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free. Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/popu… About the speaker: Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa holds a PhD from the University of Goa. She is also a post-graduate in Library Science and is a Reference Librarian with a specialisation in Indo-Portuguese History. During her long career, she has helped researchers, from those working on PhD to school students, with resources and bibliographical support. She has published seven books about Goan History, Traditions and Culture. Her latest book, “Portuguese Colonialism, Food and Society in Goa – 1900-1961,” published in 2025 by Bloomsbury International, New Delhi, is based on her doctoral thesis. For her literary accomplishments, she was awarded the State Cultural Award, in 2017 by the State of Goa. She has attended and presented papers at various international, national and local conferences, with many papers published in the proceedings. She was also a member of the Expert Committee of the Goa Government for Geographical Identity (GI) of “Feni” in 2007. Pic: Clive Figueiredo #KhakiLab #OnlineTalk #TraditionalGames #GoanCulture #FolkGames

Today is #WorldWaterDay. #DidYouKnow? Once upon a time, Mumbai had several ponds or tanks that along with wells were a source of water for its citizens. Many of the tanks don’t survive any more, but their names do. For example, Dhobi Talao, CP Tank, Gopi Tank, Nawab Tank, Khara Tank, and the Gowalia Tank shown in the picture. These tanks were filled up after the British introduced piped water to the city from Vihar Lake. Pic: ebay #TanksInMumbai #MumbaiWaterbodies #TalaosInMumbai #MumbaiWater #WaterDay #Heritage #OldBombay #BombayHeritage #History @mybmc @DoWRRDGR_MoJS @indiawater

NAVROZ MUBARAK! Today Mumbai’s Irani communities (both Zoroastrian and Muslim) celebrate Navroz or the new year with a ‘haft seen’ (seven Ss) table displaying seven items beginning with the letter S: Sabzeh (sprouts), Samanu (a sweet pudding), Senjed (olives), Serkeh (vinegar), Seeb (apple), Seer (garlic) and Somāq (sumac). Accompanying them usually are coins, hyacinth, a mirror, candles, painted eggs, goldfish, traditional confectioneries and a "book of wisdom." Pic: The Iran Primer #MumbaiCelebrates #FestiveMumbai #MumbaiFestivals #Navroz #Nowruz #Nowrooz #NavrozMubarak #Irani @parsikhabar

Join us tomorrow for our 309th Online Talk, #PopularPastimes, where, author, historian and librarian Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa revisits some of the traditional games that shaped her childhood in Goa. While not all are uniquely Goan – many are played in other parts of the world and even appear on international platforms – her focus will be on those closely connected to the Goan environment and way of life, such as bianni (played with cashew nuts), cartannim (played with empty cigarette boxes), tablam (played on a special board), and tiktem (which can be played either on a board or simply drawn on the floor.) ⏰6 pm IST, Zoom Admission Free. Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/popu… Pic: Clive Figueiredo #KhakiLab #OnlineTalk #TraditionalGames #GoanCulture #FolkGames

THE P D'MELLO OF P D'MELLO ROAD Today is the 68th death anniversary of Placid D’Mello, the forgotten trade union leader who ruled over the Mumbai docks in the 1940s and ’50s. He was also a founder of other trade unions in the city including the BMC Mazdoor Union, the BEST workers’ union and the Taximen’s union. The road named after him, P D’Mello Road, unfortunately is more well-known than he is today. #todayinmumbaihistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiDocks #LabourHistory #UnionLeader #LabourLeader #Mumbai @mybmc

At the First Farrokh Jijina Memorial Talk #ChroniclingACommunity, journalist and editor Jehangir R Patel will tell the story of @ParsianaMedia magazine from its origins and objectives to the difficult decision of ceasing publication. He will also speak on Farrokh Jijina’s contribution to the magazine, and his love for the community and its history. 📍Sun, 22 March, 2026 | 6 PM | Khaki Lab, Fort, Mumbai Admission free. Limited seats. Pic: Scroll #KhakiLab #MemorialTalk #CommunityHistory #Parsiana

GUDHI PADWA CHYA HARDIK SHUBHECHA Today, all of Mumbai and Maharashtra celebrate Gudhi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year. You'll find gudhis (cloth flags atop bamboo sticks with neem and mango leaves and garlands of marigold flowers around them, capped with an upturned metal pot) everywhere in the city's Maharashtrian-dominated areas. #DidYouKnow? 23 years ago, a new tradition began in Mumbai on the day of Gudhi Padwa - Girgaon’s celebrated women bikers’ rally. It started with just one woman biker named Sampada Mukadam who led a male biker rally on her motorcycle dressed in her traditional finery. Pic: Lokmat Times #Mumbai #Bombay #Maharashtra #History #Heritage #Religion #Culture #Festival #GudhiPadwa #GudiPadwa #Hindu #Marathi #Maharashtrian #NewYear #HappyNewYear @MinOfCultureGoI @maha_tourism

At our Online Talk #PopularPastimes, author, historian and librarian Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa revisits some of the traditional games that shaped her childhood in Goa. While not all are uniquely Goan – many are played in other parts of the world and even appear on international platforms – her focus will be on those closely connected to the Goan environment and way of life, such as bianni (played with cashew nuts), cartannim (played with empty cigarette boxes), tablam (played on a special board), and tiktem (which can be played either on a board or simply drawn on the floor.) 📍Sat | 21 Mar | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free. Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/popu… Pic: Goa Holiday Homes #KhakiLab #OnlineTalk #TraditionalGames #GoanCulture #FolkGames

THE COMMON PEOPLE’S ARTIST Raja Ravi Varma became famous for paintings of gods and goddesses. Mahadev Vishwanath Dhurandhar was someone greatly inspired by Raja Ravi Varma’s work, and he achieved fame for paintings of ordinary people, particularly women. An influential artist and art teacher, he was the first artist to be honoured with the title of Rao Bahadur by the Government, and became the first Indian director of the JJ School of Arts. Today is his 157th birth anniversary. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #ArtHistory #IndianArt #Mumbai #Bombay #Art #RajaRaviVarma #JJSchoolOfArts @jjschoolofart

At the First Farrokh Jijina Memorial Talk #ChroniclingACommunity, journalist and editor Jehangir R Patel will tell the story of @ParsianaMedia magazine from its origins and objectives to the difficult decision of ceasing publication. He will also speak on Farrokh Jijina’s contribution to the magazine, and his love for the community and its history. 📍Sun, 22 March, 2026 | 6 PM | Khaki Lab, Fort, Mumbai Admission free. Limited seats. #KhakiLab #MemorialTalk #CommunityHistory #Parsiana

At our Online Talk #PopularPastimes, author, historian and librarian Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa revisits some of the traditional games that shaped her childhood in Goa. While not all are uniquely Goan – many are played in other parts of the world and even appear on international platforms – her focus will be on those closely connected to the Goan environment and way of life, such as bianni (played with cashew nuts), cartannim (played with empty cigarette boxes), tablam (played on a special board), and tiktem (which can be played either on a board or simply drawn on the floor.) 📍Sat | 21 Mar | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free. Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/popu… Pic: Goa Holiday Homes #KhakiLab #OnlineTalk #TraditionalGames #GoanCulture #FolkGames

Announcing a Literary & Musical Event at Khaki Lab, Fort #TheSecretMaster – Pandit Arun Kashalkar, Khayal & Mumbai With Sumana Ramanan & Sugandha Laturkar Pandit Arun Kashalkar is one of the most accomplished and charismatic figures specialising in khayal, one of the Indian subcontinent's most scintillating music genres, the very name of which means ‘imagination.’ Yet he performs on the fringes of the mainstream Hindustani music ecosystem in Mumbai, which has been the epicentre of the art form since the early twentieth century. He is part of a wider underground scene that has been preserving this music in its most vibrant colours. At our literary and musical event, #TheSecretMaster, Sumana Ramanan, author of the book The Secret Master: Arun Kashalkar and a Journey to the Edge of Music, published by Westland Books’ Context imprint, will provide a rare glimpse into Mumbai’s hidden but vibrant underground culture of Hindustani music and the art, life and milieu of one of its most accomplished and charismatic vocalists. She will trace the little-known history of how the centre of gravity of khayal moved during the end-19th and early 20th centuries from the Delhi area to the Mumbai region. She will also guide listeners through khayal’s key aesthetic principles through a live recital by singer Sugandha Laturkar, a senior student of Pandit Arun Kashalkar, whose style combines the Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur traditions, three of today’s six main gharanas. 📍Sun | 29th March | 11 AM | Khaki Lab, Fort 🎟️ ₹499 pp Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/thes… About the presenters Sumana Ramanan is an award-winning journalist. In a career spanning three-and-a-half decades, she has worked for leading media organisations as an investigative reporter, feature writer, foreign correspondent, senior editor and columnist. She is drawn to hidden histories, narrative non-fiction and dark chocolate. For several years, she helped curate a prominent literature festival. She lives in Bengaluru, but has one foot in Mumbai, where she grew up and worked for a major part of her life. Her work can be found at sumanaramanan.in. Sugandha Laturkar is among the finest khayal singers of her generation, combining three leading styles, namely Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur. She is an A-grade artist of All India Radio. She began her musical training at the age of five, learning first from her father, followed by two gurus in eastern Maharashtra. In high school, she began training with Subhash Kashalkar and since 2011 she has been a student of Arun Kashalkar, the protagonist of The Secret Master. She has an MSc in botany, an MA in music and an Alankar from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. She will be accompanied on the tabla by Praveen Karkare and on the harmonium by Dnyaneshwar Sonawane. #KhakiLab #MusicalEvent #Mumbai #History #Khayal #PanditArunKashalkar #HindustaniMusic

THE END OF A MUSICAL LEGEND Before America had the King of Pop, Mumbai had the Emperor of Music – Sangeet Samrat Ustad Alladiya Khan. It was said of him by other classical vocalists that where his throat could go, even their thoughts couldn’t. Sadly, not even a single recording of his exists today; not because they are lost, but because he refused to have his voice recorded. Today is his 80th death anniversary. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #MusicHistory #HindutaniClassical #IndianMusic #AlladiyaKhan #HindustaniVocal #ShastriyaSangeet @sangeetnatak @MinOfCultureGoI

INDIA’S FIRST FILMMAKER Dadasaheb Phalke made the first-ever Indian feature film, but he was not India’s first filmmaker. That honour goes to Harishchandra Bhatavdekar (also known as Save Dada) who was born on this day 156 years ago. A photography studio owner, he was inspired by the Lumiere Brothers’ first film screenings in Mumbai to acquire a movie camera from London, and became the first Indian to shoot a film when he shot a wrestling match at Hanging Gardens in November 1899. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #FilmHistory #IndianHistory #BollywoodHistory #IndianCinema #Bollywood #Mumbai #MovieHistory @FHF_Official @NFAIOfficial

MAN V/S PLAGUE This day, 166 years ago, was born Dr Waldemar Mordecai Wolff Haffkine, the man who relieved the city from the bubonic plague and in whose memory the Haffkine Institute in Parel is named. A bacteriologist from Odessa in Ukraine, Dr Haffkine developed the plague vaccine in a makeshift laboratory in a corridor of the Grant Medical College called Room 000. He first tried the vaccine on himself, and then on volunteers from the Byculla Jail. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #MedicineHistory #PharmaHistory #Plague #Vaccine #Haffkine #HaffkineInstitute #Parel #Mumbai #Ukraine

SILENT MOVIES BEGIN TO TALK This day, 95 years ago, India's first ‘talkie’ film Alam Ara, premiered at Girgaon’s Majestic Cinema. Directed by Ardeshir Irani, this masterpiece introduced the concept of the ‘film song,’ laying the foundation for the musical heritage of Bollywood. Since soundproof studios didn't yet exist, the film had to be shot mostly at night, between 1 am and 4 am, to avoid the noise of passing trains and city life, with microphones hidden in the actors' costumes or behind props. The film also gave us "De De Khuda Ke Naam Pe," the first-ever song in Indian cinema, sung by WM Khan. It was such a big hit that police had to be called in to control the massive crowds! #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #FilmHistory #AlamAra #IndianHistory #BollywoodHistory #IndianCinema #Bollywood #Mumbai #AlamAra #Girgaon @FHF_Official @NFAIOfficial

A NEW ADDRESS The Wilson College has its beginnings in Girgaon in 1832 as the Ambroli English School founded by Rev. John Wilson, a Scottish missionary. Its collegiate section began in 1836. It changed both its name and its location, several times, before it found a permanent home at its present campus on this day 145 years ago. #ThisDayThatYear #Mumbai #WilsonCollege #Chowpatty #MumbaiCollege #Girgaum #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage

Announcing Talk 311 #ForgottenSoldiers – Indian POWs In World War II Online Talk by Gautam Hazarika During World War II, 60,000 soldiers in the colonial Indian Army fought against Japan in the defence of Singapore in 1942. These men became prisoners of war (POWs) when Britain surrendered the island to Japan. The Japanese sent 17,000 Indian POWs to hard labour camps in Papua New Guinea. Only 7,000 of them survived. At our Online Talk #ForgottenSoldiers, researcher and author Gautam Hazarika tells us some of the stories of these soldiers, enriched by personal accounts and the hard truth, particularly that of Lt. Syed Amarat Shikoh, who spied against Japan from inside the radio station. His son Mohammad will join Gautam to tell us of their family memory and rediscovery. 📍Sat | 28th March | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free. Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/forg… About the speaker: Gautam Hazarika is a Singapore-based ex-banker who now researches lesser-known aspects of WWII in Southeast Asia such as the Indian army and the INA. He has spoken about them at museums, conferences, literary festivals and podcasts worldwide. He is also the author of “The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II (Penguin India/Pen & Sword UK 2025).” It is his first book. Pic: Australian War Memorial #KhakiLab #OnlineTalk #IndianArmy #POWs #ColonialHistory #UntoldHistory

INDIA'S FIRST CORPORATE CZARINA Much before today's women CEOs was Sumati Morarjee, the Mother of Indian Shipping. Way back in 1929, at the age of 20, she was included in the managing agency of Scindia Steam Navigation Company, and by 1946, she was running the company. In 1956, she breached another male bastion when she became the first woman in the world to head an organisation of ship-owners - the Indian National Steamship Owners’ Association. And in 1970, she was elected Vice-President of the World Shipping Federation. Today is her 117th birth anniversary. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #BusinessHistory #WonderWomen #MumbaiWomen #WomanOfSubstance #SumatiMorarjee #IndianShipping #ShippingHistory