Karina Pandya

  As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati used to love playing the game of dice. Hence, playing games on the Diwali night is   considered auspicious . Board games not only enhance social skills but also sharpen motor skills and hand-eye coordination, boost self-esteem and encourage flexible thinking.   While different card games are usually at the top of the list of gatherings, board games are also not too far away. Games such as Monopoly, scrabble,    pachisi, ludo, chauka bara  and chaduranga  are some of the popular ones. Of course, other modern board games can also be added!   1.       Monopoly:   While Monopoly is known to be a classic game for all ages,        is more of a luxurious version that suits adults more than children . A real estate game that can have up to eight players, the objective of the game is to acquire as many properties as possible, while forc...

Symbolising the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance; Diwali is one of the most anticipated Indian holidays. Not only does it signify a time to destroy all our dark desires and thoughts but it is a time of strength as well as zeal to carry on with our goodwill for the remaining part of the year. This festival is observed by more than a billion people across different faiths and lasts for five specific days where it is accompanied by a lot of prayers, feats, fireworks and a new year.    It commemorates the victorious return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after having saved his wife Sita from the evil clutches of the demon king – Ravana. Extending beyond culture and religion, Diwali encompasses a bit of everything for everyone. Right from making beautiful rangoli designs, decorating the house with lights and dias, preparing special dishes and sweets, organizing Lakshmi Puja, and buying new clothes/utensils/home items; it is also a time t...

          With over 60% of the people living in Mumbai living in slums, the Brihanmumbai Municipality Corporation (BMC) plays a very critical role in the city. The local Government of the city, also known as the  Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai   ( MCGM ) is known to be the governing civic body of Mumbai – the capital of Maharashtra.    The BMC is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city and some suburbs. There are 9 Municipal Corporations in the city:  Greater Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi- Nizamapur, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar and Panvel; and 9 Municipal Councils.    These municipal corporations are the urban local bodies which work for the development of the city. Municipal corporations are also known as the Mahanagar Palika, Nagar Palika, Nagar Nigam, and City Corporations of the city.  Out of the entire population of people living in the...

India has been a centre of art centres for quite a while with collections of theatre, music, dance, folk traditions, performing arts, writings, paintings, rites and rituals, songs, etc. For this, it is also known as the 'Intangible Cultural Heritage' (ICH) of humanity.   Some of the popular art centres in Mumbai include the Jehangir Art Gallery, Piramal Art Gallery, National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA), Prithvi Theatre, and now the one of its kind multi-disciplinary cultural space – the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre – which was recently opened this year on March 31 st , 2023.   https://youtu.be/-oppBZ6kT14   The aim of this center, as spelled out by the chairperson Nita Ambani is that it is “An ode to our nation, the Cultural Centre aims to preserve and promote Indian arts. I hope our spaces nurture and inspire talent, bringing together communities from across India and the globe.” Nita continues to say   “I gifted this artwork to my husband on his bir...