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News18
11-07-2025
- News18
‘Will This Train Stop At Malad?' Smart Indicators At These 7 WR Stations Will Give You The Answer
Last Updated: Western Railway stations get smart indicators: These indicators provide customised information and support multiple languages for the benefit of WR commuters Western Railway stations get smart indicators: Western Railway (WR) commuters can soon stop asking fellow travellers if the train they have boarded will stop at a particular station. Reason? The WR has installed advanced, state-of-the-art train indicators at several Mumbai suburban stations, including Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Lower Parel, Prabhadevi, Jogeshwari and Malad. The Western Railway in a post on X said: 'Under the #AmritBharatStationScheme, WR has installed sleek new and improved digital indicators at Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Lower Parel, Prabhadevi, Jogeshwari & Malad stations." These indicators provide customised information, support multiple languages thus enhancing the overall visual experience for our passengers. A standout feature of the upgraded system is the scrolling information line that dynamically displays the names of upcoming stations where the train will halt. This real-time information is expected to make travel more seamless and intuitive for daily commuters, according to officials quoted in media reports. It involves: Phase-wise master planning: Stations are redesigned with local architecture and cultural motifs to create cohesive, vibrant transit centers. Infrastructure upgrades: Enhanced entry/exit zones, circulation spaces, waiting halls, clean toilets, lifts, escalators, foot overbridges, footpaths, and 'roof plazas" where needed. Passenger amenities: Free Wi‑Fi, digital signage, executive lounges, business zones, and kiosks for 'One Station One Product," promoting local crafts and cuisine. Accessibility and sustainability: Facilities for Divyangjans (ramps, tactile paths, Braille signage), eco-friendly infrastructure, ballastless tracks, rainwater harvesting, LED lighting—replacing older Adarsh Station upgrades. The progress of the scheme From June-August 2023, foundation has been laid for 508 stations across 27 states/UTs with a budget of Rs 24,470 crore. On May 22-23, 2025, the PM inaugurated 103 modernized stations in 18 states, including 19 in Uttar Pradesh and key stations in Maharashtra like Itwari and Vidyavihar. It's projected to renovate an additional 500 by 2027. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Mumbai takes a leap of faith: Festival of San Joao makes a splash in city
Mumbai: The star of a Catholic saint has been on the rise in Mumbai, reaching its zenith every year on June 24, the day of his feast, San Joao. St John the Baptist (San Joao in Portuguese) was the cousin of Jesus, who baptised him in the River Jordan and initiated him into his ministry. Over the years, the feast in Mumbai has evolved from a neighbourhood community festival to a citywide carnival, with events hosted from Marine Lines to Manori, open to people within and outside the Catholic fold. Its widespread appeal is due in part to the unique customs and revelry that frame it, celebrating not just the saint, but nature, the rains, and, curiously, newlyweds alongside. New son-in-law day In East Indian and Goan tradition, a married couple visits the bride's home, where the son-in-law is feted and fed. In Uttan, fireworks welcome a couple into the village a day prior to the feast, which is also called 'Jaavaycha Sann' or New Son-in-Law Day. "When they arrive, the groom unearths the ceremonial coin buried under the 'arka' for good luck," says Mogan Rodrigues, co-founder of Sangath, a Bombay East Indian cultural platform. "On the day of the feast itself, the couple attends mass in the morning. In the evening, they are led by an East Indian brass band in a lively procession to the village well, where their feet are washed by women from the family or the community. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트 29만원 이벤트 임플란트 더 알아보기 Undo Singing and dancing, everyone returns to the bride's house for light refreshments, while later, a more elaborate dinner of pork Indyal, stuffed chicken and mutton stew is laid out for the son-in-law," he says. Gleason Barretto, a coordinator with the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP), believes East Indians wash the couple's feet as a sign of respect and acceptance for the new son-in-law, and says the sacrament of baptism, signifying ritual cleansing and a new beginning, may have been extrapolated to the matrimonial context. Goans don't practise this custom. Water works Water is central to San Joao celebrations, recalling St John's baptism. In Mumbai and Thane, wells, ponds and tanks stand in for the river, with community members leaping into wells. If a waterbody isn't available, tankers are summoned and sprinklers set up. There was a time, though, when the mechanics were more rudimentary. "We'd empty buckets of water from the terrace or hose each other with pipes," laughs Wency Pereira of Goan Outreach Association. "Goans who had no access to wells celebrated San Joao in building compounds. But as the numbers grew, we needed a larger venue." In places where wells vanished, pools both tiled and inflatable, became the new proxy. "We rented a BMC pool one year," recalls Fleur D'Souza, former history department head at St Xavier's College and a parishioner of St John the Baptist Church, Thane. "Festivities began a whole week prior with tournaments and games. It was the first big celebration after Easter." New currents In the past decade, San Joao celebrations have moved beyond homes and gaothans into gymkhanas, clubs and resorts, especially in Gorai and Manori. "It wasn't this popular a couple of years ago," notes Pereira. "We had close to 1,000 people at our event last year." The festival is now marketed as a semi-carnival with live bands, competitions, rain dances and pool plunges. Traditions are observed, but with a twist. At Felix Sequeira's San Joao party in Gorai, prayers led by a priest are followed by the ceremonial plunge—led by brides. While most events are promoted via WhatsApp and word of mouth, some, like Mumbai Meri Jaan Foundation, use ticketing platforms. "Last year, we had 1,700 people; this year we expect 2,500," says Nicholas D'Souza, manager at the foundation. Purists though believe such events dilute tradition. For organisations like MGP, the sanctity of the festival is rooted in community and custom. Its revivalist manifesto, San Jao Cha Sann!, encourages celebration at local water bodies and restoration of neglected wells. "Reviving cultural traditions around water bodies can help revive the waterbodies themselves," says Alphi D'Souza, MGP's global head. Rising to the task, the East Indian community in Vakola will organise its first San Joao at the gaothan well on June 24.
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Daniel Craig's Queer to open Kashish film festival's 16th edition tomorrow
Powered by actor Daniel Craig, Luca Guadagnino-directed Queer will open the 16th edition of Kashish Pride Film Festival, Mumbai's annual LGBTQ+ film festival, on June 4. The festival, which boasts of being 'diverse and inclusive with representation of the complete LGBTQ+ spectrum', will roll out an impressive line-up of 152 films from 48 countries. 'Earlier, we used to have lesbian, gay or transgender movies. Now, the other members of the spectrum, including non-binary and intersex people are making movies. So, the festival is more inclusive now,' says Sridhar Rangayan, the festival's founder director. Its closing film, 'Close To You', features transgender actor Elliot Page in the lead. The festival's opening ceremony will be held at Bandra's St Andrews Auditorium while the screenings will be held at Cinepolis, Andheri West, from June 4-8. It will also hold screenings at Alliance Francaise, Marine Lines, from June 5 to 8. Some of the major films selected for the festival include Shyam Benegal's 'Mandi', Onir's 'We Are Faheem & Karun', Dutch film 'Out' and 'Odd Fish', which is set in an Icelandic township. Director Deborah Alice Craig's 'Sally!', Mikko Mäkelä's 'Sebastian', Emanuel Parvu's 'Three Kilometers to the End of the World', Patricia Ryczko's 'Reset', and Marcelo Caetano's Baby are the other top picks. 'As the festival turns 16, the programming has become more dynamic. A number of films talk about queer parents and parenting challenges. We also have South Asian countries, such as Myanmar and Bhutan, participating this year,' says Saagar Gupta, the festival's artistic director. While holding the festival for 16 years has been a fulfilling experience, the team has also been dealing with several challenges. 'Across the world, it has become financially challenging to hold a film festival. Donald Trump's anti-LGBTQ+ stand and the UK's trans-phobic policies have made it even more difficult for us. We are supported by the diversity and inclusion budget of corporate companies in India. It's becoming tough to access that,' says Rangayan. Recounting the journey of Kashish, Rangayan shares that in April 2010, its inaugural edition was held at PVR, Juhu, with the aim of creating a 'mainstream space' where the members of queer community as well as their allies could mingle. 'During the pre-Kashish period, we had held screenings of queer films at National College, Bandra, and British Council or Alliance Française. The 2009 Delhi High Court verdict (which decriminalised homosexual acts), gave us the impetus to organise a festival that's more mainstream in nature,' he recalls and adds that it is the first Indian LGBTQ+ festival to be held with approval by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. Apart from creating a mainstream feel, the festival's aim has been to provide a big-screen experience to delegates as well as make sure they enjoy watching queer movies with their partners, friends and family without 'a sense of shame or guilt', says Rangayan. The festival moved Liberty Cinema in 2014 to accommodate a large number of delegates. This year, the first phase of the festival is being held at Cinepolis and Rangayan hopes it will draw youngsters to the screenings there. The festival schedule and other details can be found at
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Sunny Singh: For me, chai is a stress buster, a conversation starter
For actor Sunny Singh, chai is more than just a beverage — it's a "comfort drink". On International Tea Day today, the 39-year-old tells us about his love for chai, calling it a 'stress buster' and a 'conversation starter'. 'Chai makes you feel relaxed. Whether you're working, talking to your friends at a get-together, or on a staycation somewhere in the hills, chai can be a conversation starter kyuki chai pe charcha hoti hi hai. It's amazing how people come together, even those who don't know each other sometimes end up becoming friends over a cup of chai,' he says. Sunny's first memory of having chai goes back to his teenage years, during a family wedding in Punjab. He recalls, 'The first time I had chai was when I was around 16. I was in Jalandhar, attending a cousin's wedding. We were all staying together in a house — multiple families. I remember having gud wali chai (jaggery tea), and I loved it so much I had some four cups, maybe even more, in a day. It became almost like an addiction. Even now, while shooting, after lunch I always have tea with gud.' Ask him about his perfect cup of tea and he shares, "Masala chai is my favourite — milk, elaichi, adrak with some gud. I love it even more if it is served in a kulhar (earthenware cup)," adding, "Also, whenever I go on long drives, I always stop and have cutting chai. There's nothing like the dhaba wali chai.' Reflecting on one of his most cherished memories, Sunny shares: 'In 2003, my friends and I were selected for a photoshoot. I got ₹2000 for that modelling assignment. It was my first pay check. With that, we went to Marine Lines (in Mumbai), had tea, bun and snacks. I saved whatever was left from the money. That's a memory I still hold on to.' Recalling his experience during the shoot of Wild Wild Punjab (2024), Sunny shares how the entire team bonded over chai: 'We were in Chandigarh, and it was winter. All of us — me, (actors) Patralekhaa, Varun Sharma, Jassie Gill, Manjot Singh, Ishita Raj, and the director (Simarpreet Singh) — we used to shoot at night. After wrapping up, we'd all sit together, have chai, each demanding chai with a variation of their own, around a bonfire. We'd chat, joke, laugh — it became a ritual. Then we'd go back to shooting. It was such a beautiful experience. Those moments — sharing laughs, stories, and chai — were beautiful.'
