Mumbai, the city of dreams, is a beautiful city that, once it enters your heart, will never leave it. The city is known for its hustle and bustle, its films, its foodie gullies, its cultural heritage, and its “never say die” spirit. And what better than poetic verses to describe its beauty? The Mumbai Research Centre of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai is back with Jashn-e-Dastaan-e-Mumbai after a long hiatus, and we are so excited.
Jashn-e-Dastaan-e-Mumbai: A Poetic Event
With walks, discussions, and workshops, the yearly cultural event Jashn-e-Dastaan-e-Mumbai will honour the city’s colourful and bustling streets this year. The event is organised for January 29 from 5 pm to 7 pm. The culmination of all of this will be a poetic homage on the steps of the Asiatic Library in Mumbai. Seven poets will read their work in Hindi, English, Marathi, Gujarati, Urdu, and Bengali as part of an event curated by architect, poet, and lecturer Mustansir Dalvi.
Mustansir is a resident of Panvel and has spent the majority of his life in Fort. He attended college here and is now also employed here. His poetry will include tales of how the city is close to his heart. His verses include landmarks like Horniman Circle, Harbour Line, the dreaded Mumbai monsoon, and even the summer, bringing back bittersweet memories. He writes in two trajectories, one talking about what the city is today and the other being a historical account of the city that details the numerous ways it came to be.
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An Evening Painted By The Verse Of Some Talented Poets
The poets in attendance for Jashn-e-Dastaan-e-Mumbai are some of the most talented poets in the city, and their works have been loved by Dalvi himself. Ranjit Hoskote (art theorist and curator), the verses of author Sampurna Chattarji, Hemant Divate (co-founder of Paperwalla Publishing), Prabodh Parikh (documentary filmmaker), Jane Bhandari, and Danish Husain (actor-director) are some of the names.
Every person looks at the city in a different way, and so does the connection. It will be a beautiful experience to see poets pay tribute to the same city in different ways, verses, and languages. Husain rightly said that the very feeling of celebrating this beautiful city amidst its people is something that makes him happy. Mustansir Dalvi will also launch his book of poetry, Walk, during the event.
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Are you excited to witness the beauty of Mumbai through poetry?
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