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Bal Thackeray laid to rest

Shiv Sena founder and chief, who passed away yesterday, was laid to rest with full State honours on Sunday evening.

Mumbai city came to a standstill on the day Shiv Sena chief, and the city’s original Tiger, Bal Thackeray, was laid to rest at Dadar’s Shivaji Park. He was 86, and had been ailing for a long while from a pancreatic disorder. Over 20 lakh people thronged the streets of Mumbai, accompanying the funeral procession from Thackeray’s residence Matoshree at Bandra, to Shiv Sena Bhavan and finally to Shivaji Park.

Shivaji Park witnessed a historic turnout that comprised mourners from the city and Maharashtra, State and national politicians, members of the Hindi film industry and of course, Thackeray’s own family. Uddhav, Thackeray’s youngest son and political heir, lit the funeral pyre at about 6.30 pm. Thackeray Sr was given a funeral with full State honours.

(Pictures courtesy ibnlive.com, hindu.com, indianexpress.com, manipalworld.com, intoday.in)

 

 

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Dombivali may create Guinness World Record today

Mumbai Pooram event will see a record 3,500 Kaikottikali dancers perform at Dombivali tonight for a shot at Guinness glory.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Dombivali is all geared up for a massive dance show tonight – the KDMC Grounds will witness a historic 3,500 dancers, all of them from different parts of Mumbai and all of them originally from Kerala – where a massive but coordinated Kaikottikali dance performance will be put up on the first-day of a three-day annual cultural fest celebrating Kerala. The show might put the dancers and the event in the Guinness Book of World Records; officials from the organisation will be present to witness the performance for synchronisation and overall presentation.

Interestingly, all ages from years 13 and above are allowed to participate, so the group of dancers will be a motley mix of teenagers, mothers and even grandmothers.

The Metrognome spoke to a participant from Bhandup’s Usha Nagar, Madhuri Prathap (40), a Bharatnatyam dance teacher who, with nine of her students, will perform today. “A college friend of mine was one of the organisers for the event, and she told me to enter as many of my students as I could,” Madhuri said, adding that the call to participate for the event was made by two coordinators, who went to each Kerala samajam in Mumbai to stress on the fact that this time, the event could try for an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. Interestingly, the feat has already been performed last year and has won an entry in the Limca Book of Records.

“Last Sunday we had a mega rehearsal at Dombivali, where at least 2,000 dancers turned up to practice. We are nervous but very excited to be a part of such a historic event,” Madhuri beamed. “It’s a dream come true to be a part of it.”

About the event

Modelled on the lines of Kerala’s ‘Thrissur Pooram’, Kerala’s most famous temple festival held every year, the Mumbai Pooram is celebrated as a three-day extravaganza with dance performances, laser shows, pyrotechnics, food festivals and exhibitions, among others. Mumbai Pooram is reportedly the biggest Kerala festival held outside that State.

The Kaikottikali is a group dance comprising girls and women dressed in traditional Kerala saris. The mega dance event is called the Dhathri Maha Kaikottikali and has been approved by the Guinness Book of World Records as a viable attempt at creating a record.

(Picture courtesy www.downvids.com)  

 

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Celebrating Obama’s win in Mumbai

President Barack Obama
See pictures of the US Election Returns party organised by the American Centre of the US Consulate at HRC, Mumbai.

Barack Obama won a second term in the White House, after he defeated Mitt Romney to take charge as US President again. Several parts of America and the world erupted with joy at the news. In Mumbai, the American Centre of the US Consulate organised a breakfast part at Hard Rock Cafe to bring in the news of the new President with a packed room of US nationals and Mumbaikars. We bring you a few pictures of the event, courtesy the American Centre of the US Consulate.

 

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Event

At the iPhone 5 launch

Mahafreed Irani attended the India launch of Apple’s newest and most eagerly-awaited iPhone in Mumbai on Friday at Phoenix Mills.

An announcer on a mini stage that’s been erected in the courtyard of Lower Parel’s Phoenix Mills heralded the launch of a new gadget. “The real moon of Karva Chauth: the iPhone 5 is here,” she said. A long queue of Apple fans had been waiting to buy the iPhone5 on the day of its launch. They’d been standing for over an hour to make sure they lay their hands on the very first phones sold in the country.

Amongst the many standees were Apple fanboys, phone resellers, and office peons and servants that had been delegated to pick up the product for their masters. The contrast was very clear between those who would own the phones and those who were just there in lieu of somebody else.

“I want to be part of the experience. There is a sort of vibrant energy here,” said Shreyam Desai, a student who had been part of another Apple queue in the past. “I stood in line for the iPhone 3G in the US. There was never anything like that in India and now that there is, it’s a very nice experience.”

Another iPhone fan waiting was Siddharth Shetty.

“It’s important for me to be here on the first day. I want to be part of the tradition that Apple has been carrying out in other countries,” he said, referring to the cult-style enthusiasm in which thousands of Apple customers stand for hours and sometimes days outside stores to be among the first people to get their hands on the phone.

In the meantime, reporters and camera crew cramped and pushed each other to get the best shots of actress Esha Gupta of Jannat 2 fame, as she held the phone in her hand, pouting for the cameras. Veena Parikh, a lucky customer was handed the phone, making her one of the first to own it after the official launch in India. She’d been handpicked perhaps because of her interesting story – her husband was buying her the phone as a gift on Karva Chauth.

“She can use it to facetime with our daughter who is in the US,” he smiled.

Mahafreed Irani is a Mumbai-based journalist and co-editor of The Report (youtube.com/thereportlive)

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