Announcing Talk 338 #Ṭoḍarānanda – Rājā Ṭoḍaramalla’s Dharma Encyclopaedia | Online Talk by Rajas A Vaishampayan Rājā Ṭoḍaramalla is universally celebrated as the architect of the Mughal Empire's revolutionary revenue system. Yet, his most profound and enduring legacy lies in the Ṭoḍarānanda. It is an encyclopaedia created during a complex era of foreign rule. This monumental encyclopaedic treatise was born from a visionary intention – to deliberately safeguard and codify the indigenous Indian way of life, its traditions, and its civilisational ideals against the tides of political disruption. It is brilliantly organised around the central philosophical concept of Saukhya (holistic well-being or joy). At our Online Talk #Ṭoḍarānanda, researcher Rajas A Vaishampayan examines the unique architectural structure of the Ṭoḍarānanda. He also decodes the political economy embedded within the text, and explores how Ṭoḍaramalla navigated the harsh realities of an alien imperial administration to create a resilient, adaptable framework – one that engineered a cultural fortress to secure the ethos of Indian civilisation for future generations. 📍Sat | 24th October | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/%e1… About the speaker Rajas A Vaishampayan is a researcher and an academic with a Masters in Sanskrit and another in Archaeology. He currently serves as a Research Associate at the Indian School of Political Economy (ISPE), Pune. The subject matter of this talk directly relates to his ongoing work as a research associate on the "History of Bharatiya Artha Vichar" project at ISPE. He also works with the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) and has authored the book Sri Aurobindo's Integral Philosophy of History published by Bhandarkar Institute. Additionally, he creates courses and instructs for digital platforms like Bharatvidya.com, where he recently launched the course Dynasties of Ancient India. #Todarananda #RajaTodarmalla #Todarmalla #MughalHistory #IndianHistory #IndianCivilisation #Sanskrit #CulturalHeritage #OnlineTalk #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage

Announcing Talk 339 #HowToReadAMonument – Uncovering Meanings | Online Talk by Prajakti Pai Monuments have been a part of our built landscapes since centuries. We visit them as part of our travel itineraries, we look at them, we picture them. But, can we also read them? What does it mean to ‘read’ a monument? And how does one go about such a reading? At our Online Talk #HowToReadAMonument, author and educator Prajakti Pai invites us to read India’s monuments beyond stone and ornament and uncover the many layers of meanings embedded within them. She draws upon monuments of India from different regions, periods, and traditions to explore how architecture reflects faith, memory, myths, artistic imagination, cultural exchange, and collective identity. She explores monuments as repositories of stories, and urges one to listen to them to discover stories, symbols, and memories that they continue to carry. 📍Sat | 31th October | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/how… About the speaker Prajakti Pai holds a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy. She is a designer and educator who has been teaching at colleges of architecture and design for over sixteen years. Her academic explorations have taken her into the study of Indian Aesthetics and Temples, Museology and Conservation, Southeast Asian Art and Architecture, and Mythology. Prajakti has recently co-authored a book titled “51+ Monuments of India” along with Yashwant Pitkar and Yadneshwar Pathak. She finds joy in travelling, sketching, and creating. She blogs at prajakti.blog #MonumentsOfIndia #IndianMonuments #IndianArchitecture #MonumentalHeritage #ArchitecturalHistory #TempleArchitecture #IndianTemples #OnlineTalk #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage

At our Online Talk #Ṭoḍarānanda, researcher Rajas A Vaishampayan examines the unique architectural structure of the Ṭoḍarānanda. He also decodes the political economy embedded within the text, and explores how Ṭoḍaramalla navigated the harsh realities of an alien imperial administration to create a resilient, adaptable framework – one that engineered a cultural fortress to secure the ethos of Indian civilisation for future generations. 📍Sat | 24th October | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/%e1… #Todarananda #RajaTodarmalla #Todarmalla #MughalHistory #IndianHistory #IndianCivilisation #Sanskrit #CulturalHeritage #OnlineTalk #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage

A BRITISH CRICKETER BORN IN MUMBAI On this day, 126 years ago, English cricketer Douglas Robert Jardine, notorious for developing the Bodyline tactic against Sir Don Bradman, was born at Malabar Hill to Alison and Malcolm Jardine, well-known in Mumbai’s social and sporting circles. Douglas's father Malcolm, a professor at Mumbai's Government Law College, had played cricket for Oxford University and Middlesex. Douglas stayed in Mumbai till the age of 9 when he was sent to Scotland to stay with his mother's sister. He returned to the city of his birth in 1933 to captain England against India in the first-ever test match played on Indian soil at the Bombay Gymkhana grounds. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #Sports #cricket #bodyline #cricketer #malabarhill #bombay #gymkhana #testmatch #englandcricket #captain

At our Online Talk #Ṭoḍarānanda, researcher Rajas A Vaishampayan examines the unique architectural structure of the Ṭoḍarānanda. He also decodes the political economy embedded within the text, and explores how Ṭoḍaramalla navigated the harsh realities of an alien imperial administration to create a resilient, adaptable framework – one that engineered a cultural fortress to secure the ethos of Indian civilisation for future generations. 📍Sat | 24th October | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/%e1… #Todarananda #RajaTodarmalla #Todarmalla #MughalHistory #IndianHistory #IndianCivilisation #Sanskrit #CulturalHeritage #OnlineTalk #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage

At our Online Talk #KargilBeyondTheWar on Saturday evening, food anthropologist and author Yash Saxena, responsible tourism advocate and Kargil native Muzammil Hussain, and cultural researcher and writer Sneha Nair explored Kargil beyond its familiar association with war and geopolitics. Through the interconnected lenses of place, people, and food, they examined how the region’s Himalayan landscape, cultural traditions, migration, trade, and local ecology have shaped its foodways over generations. From traditional ingredients and cooking practices to the impact of conflict and changing aspirations, the speakers revealed how food offers a deeper understanding of Kargil’s history, identity, and everyday life. ✨ Missed the talk? You can watch it here: youtube.com/watch?v=XHfoQMk1… You can also access our archive of Online Talks on the Khaki Lab YouTube Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC1GEejV… Join us for our next Online Talk this Saturday, 24th October at 6 PM. #Ṭoḍarānanda – Rājā Ṭoḍaramalla’s Dharma Encyclopaedia by Rajas A Vaishampayan khakitours.com/itinerary/%e1… #Kargil #KargilHistory #KargilCulture #KargilFood #KargilCuisine #KargiliKitchen #Ladakh #LadakhCulture #FoodHistory #IndianHimalayas #HistoryTalk #History #Heritage #OnlineTalk

At our Online Talk #Ṭoḍarānanda, researcher Rajas A Vaishampayan examines the unique architectural structure of the Ṭoḍarānanda. He also decodes the political economy embedded within the text, and explores how Ṭoḍaramalla navigated the harsh realities of an alien imperial administration to create a resilient, adaptable framework – one that engineered a cultural fortress to secure the ethos of Indian civilisation for future generations. 📍Sat | 24th October | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/%e1… #Todarananda #RajaTodarmalla #Todarmalla #MughalHistory #IndianHistory #IndianCivilisation #Sanskrit #CulturalHeritage #OnlineTalk #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage

WHEN GOOD VANQUISHES EVIL Today, Mumbai celebrates Dasara. Tonight, at various places in Mumbai, and most prominently on the sands of Chowpatty, an effigy of Raavan will be set on fire to commemorate the victory of Lord Rama and the forces of good over evil. In the morning, various communities will worship their tools, most notably the Mumbai Police who will perform a Shastra Puja for their weapons at the armoury in Naigaon and at various police stations. #DidYouKnow? One non-religious tradition on Dasara in Mumbai is the Shiv Sena's annual Dasara Melava or rally at Shivaji Park. On the day of Dasara on 30th October 1966, Balasaheb Thackeray held Shiv Sena's first rally there. Since then, the rally has been held every year except a few occasions due to floods, elections and the Covid-19 pandemic. Even after the split of the Shiv Sena into two different parties, the Uddhav Thackeray faction continues this tradition at Shivaji Park. #Mumbai #Bombay #History #Heritage #Maharashtra #Dasara #Raavan #Raone #Ram #PurushottamRam #Ravan #RavanVadh #ShivSena #BalasahebThackeray #Thackeray #BalThackeray #ShivajiPark #Rally #Politics #ShastraPuja #RavanDahan #GirgaonRamleela #GirgaonRavanDahan

GODDESSES FOR A DAY Between today (Ashtami) and tomorrow (Navami), many Mumbai homes will celebrate Kanya Pujan to mark the end of Navratri. Nine young girls from their locality will get to be worshipped like goddesses, representing the nine forms of Durga. Boys don’t get left out either – one gets to play God alongside the girls, representing Bhairav or Hanuman. Families wash the feet of the young deities, adorn them with tilak and flowers, and seek their blessings. The young gods and goddesses enjoy a bhog of puri, black chana and suji halwa, and receive special red clothes representing the Devi’s chunri. It’s an opportunity cherished by many women in the city who once got to be goddesses for a day. #KanyaPujan #MahaAshtami #MahaNavami #Navratri #KumariPujan

Hear writer and naturalist Katie Bagli speak on the fascinating secrets of Mumbai’s trees, from centuries-old exotic and native species to the mangroves that protect the city’s coastline, at our Online Talk #BombayGreen – The Trees Of Mumbai. ➡️Watch the full video on YouTube here: youtube.com/watch?v=TqZ075Rq… #TreesOfMumbai #MumbaiTrees #MumbaiGreen #MumbaiNature #NaturalHeritage #TreeHeritage #NatureOfMumbai #UrbanNature #Biodiversity #Mangroves #MumbaiHeritage #MumbaiHistory #OnlineTalk #Heritage #History

MUMBAI’S ROCK ’N' ROLL RENEGADE Mumbai lost a true rock pioneer on Thursday with the passing of Mahesh Tinaikar, the founder and lead guitarist of the city’s iconic rock band Rock Machine. For a generation of Mumbaikar, Mahesh’s riffs were part of the soundtrack of their youth in the 1980s and ’90s. The son of former Mumbai Municipal Commissioner SS Tinaikar, Mahesh founded Rock Machine in 1984 along with Mark Selwyn, and with Ian Santamaria, Aftab Currim and Suresh Bhadricha as the other band members. They started performing covers at college festivals, slipping in their original work between songs, before releasing their first album Rock ’n’ Roll Renegade in 1988. At a time when rock bands in the city would attract a crowd of 800 or so, Rock Machine toured across the country and drew in thousands. With MTV coming on the scene in India in the early 1990s, the band rechristened itself Indus Creed for a more internationally suited image and made their first music video in 1993. The band split up in 1997. Beyond a rockstar, Mahesh was also a mentor to young budding musicians, teaching guitar at Mumbai’s True School of Music. Rock on, Mahesh! We will, we will miss you. #MumbaiMourns #KhakiMourns #MaheshTinaikar #IndusCreed #RockMachine #MumbaiRockNRoll #MumbaiMusicians

At our Online Talk #KargilBeyondTheWar, Yash Saxena, Muzammil Hussain and Sneha Nair explore Kargil through three interconnected lenses: place, people and food. Together, they examine how the landscape and its harsh ecology, its communities and histories, and its position at the crossroads of the Himalayas have shaped what people grow, forage, cook, and eat. 📍Sat | 17th October | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/kar… #Kargil #KargilHistory #KargilCulture #KargilFood #KargilCuisine #KargiliKitchen #Ladakh #LadakhCulture #FoodHistory #IndianHimalayas #HistoryTalk #History #Heritage #OnlineTalk

KOLKATA’S DURGA IN MUMBAI Today is Sashti, the day Mumbai’s Bengalis begin their Pujo celebrations. #DidYouKnow? One of the oldest Kolkata-style celebrations in the city is the Bombay Durgabari Samiti at Tejpal Hall, August Kranti Maidan. It dates back to 1930 and began at Grant Road’s Hindustan Compound with the idol coming all the way from Varanasi by train. Pic: Free Press Journal #Mumbai #MumbaiCelebrates #MumbaiCulture #MumbaiTraditions #MumbaiHeritage #MumbaiFestivals #FestiveMumbai #Navratri #Durga #DurgaPujo #Pandal #Pujo #Durgashtami #Navratri2025 #NavratriCelebrations #Festivals #Tradition #Culture

#HeritageNewsAlert In today's @mid_day, Clayton Murzello reminisces about the old book shops of South Mumbai – from the ones that have faded away to those that continue to survive in the age of smartphones and Kindles. Read the full story here: mid-day.com/news/opinion/art… #MidDay #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage #MumbaiBookstalls #BooksinMumbai #MumbaiBookstores #StoriesofMumbai #MumbaiLiterature #MumbaiReads #Mumbaikars #MumbaiNews

TATA, RAILWAYS! HELLO, AIRWAYS! On this day, 94 years ago, JRD Tata took off from Karachi’s Drigh Road Aerodrome in a single-engine De Havilland Puss Moth for the aviation department of Tata Sons – a historical flight for Indian aviation. He landed at Mumbai’s Juhu airstrip, with a stopover at Ahmedabad, carrying a cargo of airmail. The airline became Tata Air Services in 1938, and was later renamed Tata AirLines. In 1946, it was again renamed to @airindia. #ThisDayThatYear #TodayInMumbaiHistory #Mumbai #Bombay #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage #IndianHistory #Karachi #Ahmedabad #AviationHistory #Tata #TataSons #JRD #JRDTata #AirIndia #Vistara #AirAsia #CivilAviation #Tatas #BusinessTycoons #IndianAirlines #AirlineHistory #Flights

#HeritageNewsAlert Cross Maidan, the daily commuter connect between CST to Churchgate comes alive every evening with a Ramlila – not performed by actors, but by Mumbaikars. Today's @mumbaimirror features generations of these local artists, from railway staff to factory workers, who have been preserving this decades-old tradition after their daily work. Read the full story here: mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/work… #MumbaiMirror #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage #CrossMaidan #CrossMaidanRamlila #Mumbaikars #MumbaiNews #MumbaiCelebrates

At our Online Talk #BombayGreen on Saturday evening, writer, naturalist and environmental conservation award recipient Katie Bagli explored the fascinating world of Mumbai’s trees and their role in shaping the city’s green heritage. From native species and exotic trees introduced by early seafarers and the British to the mangroves that protect Mumbai’s coastline, she uncovered the intriguing stories behind the city’s diverse tree life. Through engaging observations and nature-inspired storytelling, participants gained a deeper appreciation of Mumbai’s trees, their ecological importance, and the hidden secrets they hold. ✨ Missed the talk? You can watch it here: youtube.com/watch?v=TqZ075Rq… You can also access our archive of Online Talks on the Khaki Lab YouTube Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC1GEejV… Join us for our next Online Talk this Saturday, 17th October at 6 PM. #KargilBeyondTheWar – Understanding The Region Through Food by Yash Saxena, Muzammil Hussain and Sneha Nair khakitours.com/itinerary/kar… #TreesOfMumbai #MumbaiTrees #MumbaiGreen #MumbaiNature #NaturalHeritage #TreeHeritage #NatureOfMumbai #UrbanNature #Biodiversity #Mangroves #MumbaiHeritage #MumbaiHistory #OnlineTalk #Heritage #History

A REGAL OPENING This day, 93 years ago, traffic came to a standstill in Colaba as Regal Cinema opened its doors with the Laurel and Hardy movie, “The Devil’s Brother.” Mumbai had never seen anything like Regal before – Art Deco architecture, air-conditioning and an underground car park – and even the Governor of Bombay Sir Frederick Sykes, who attended the inauguration, remarked that it should be a source of pride to the city. The Commissioner of Police had to issue a notification the next day to regulate traffic at the cinema, given its popularity. Styled as “The Theatre Magnificent,” it was the brainchild of film exhibitors Framji Sidhwa and KA Kooka. The building was designed by architect Charles Stevens (whose father FW Stevens designed the building opposite – the Royal Alfred Sailors’ Home, now the Maharashtra State Police HQ) while Czech artist Karl Schara designed the interiors. Given these difficult times for cinema theatres with the advent of OTT platforms, let’s hope it lives on to score a century. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #RegalCinema #ColabaCauseway #HindiCinema #FramjiSidhwa #KAKooka #CharlesStevens #KarlSchara #FrederickSykes #ArtDecoMumbai #ArtDekho #Mumbai #MumbaiFilms #MumbaiArchitecture

At our Online Talk #KargilBeyondTheWar, Yash Saxena, Muzammil Hussain and Sneha Nair explore Kargil through three interconnected lenses: place, people and food. Together, they examine how the landscape and its harsh ecology, its communities and histories, and its position at the crossroads of the Himalayas have shaped what people grow, forage, cook, and eat. 📍Sat | 17th October | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/kar… #Kargil #KargilHistory #KargilCulture #KargilFood #KargilCuisine #KargiliKitchen #Ladakh #LadakhCulture #FoodHistory #IndianHimalayas #HistoryTalk #History #Heritage #OnlineTalk

Mumbai’s chawls have been silent witnesses to the city’s evolution and many historic milestones. Yesterday’s Sunday @mumbaimirror featured architect and Girgaonkar Mihir Vaidya’s efforts to chronicle and spread awareness of this living heritage through social media posts and heritage walks. Read the full article: mumbaimirror.com/sunday-read… #SundayMumbaiMirror #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage #MihirVaidya #ChawlsofGirgaon #Girgaon