Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Lalbaug cha Raja - From the Pages of History | Ganeshotsav 2026
Think of Lalbaugcha Raja and what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Grandeur? Celebrities? Crowd? Wish Fulfilling? Well, Mumbai's very own beloved 'Raja' had humble beginnings. Ever wondered what the initial idols looked like? Or how the mandal was formed? Read on to know all about one of Mumbai's renowned pandals - Lalbaugcha Raja.
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The Mandal - which was then known as the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal (Lalbaug) was set up in 1934 in a simple locality, which was then known as Peru Chawl. The chawl and nearby market was forced to shut in 1932 and the locals - mostly fishermen and vendors, vowed to get a Ganpati if their wish was fulfilled. As their vow was fulfilled, the locals formed a committee and in 1934, the first ever idol was welcomed! The ganpati became famous as the 'Market cha Raja' or 'Market cha Ganpati'. As more and more devotees began queueing up to make a wish or fulfil their vows, Navsacha Ganpati and Lalbaugcha Raja became popular names.
The Ganpati idol of Lalbaugcha Raja has been created and designed by the Kambli family of Mumbai since 1935. Earlier, the idol would change every year as per theme and backdrop. Every year, the Mandal would pick a unique theme, ranging from independence struggle to mythological stories & social issues. According to locals, the mandal played a key role during the freedom struggle. In 1949, they have even had a Mahatma Gandhi inspired idol.
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| All Archive Images - Credit: Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal |
However, post 1990, things changed. The overall set up became much simpler, with just a basic backdrop. The idol was seated on a king style throne. But, the idol features and pose would change every year (till 2007). Some felt it matched the name given by locals, which is - Lalbaug cha Raja (King of Lalbaug). As crowds began to swell, the space required for themes & decorations, also became a major problem (as the pandal lane is narrow, with very little space in and around). Hence, sticking to a standard idol was seen as a good option. Since 2007 (till now), all idols have had the same features and pose. However, since 2015, the latest addition has been a unique throne (prabhaval). Some of the recent ones include Owl in 2016 (Goddess Laxmi's Vahan), and a Kurma Avatar (Turtle) in 2017. During the pandemic, the mandal organised a blood donation drive instead of the usual grand celebration in 2020. The following year, a smaller version of the idol was worshipped by the mandal trustees and members (large scale celebrations were cancelled across the country due to the pandemic, hence devotees were not allowed inside the pandal and other premises).
Adding a divine layer of symbolism and grandeur, the theme at this year's Lalbaug cha Raja is inspired by Lord Mahadev, both in spirit and design. Devotees are waiting to catch a glimpse of the Idol and overall look; as the masterful Santosh Ratnakar Kambli of Murtikar Shree Kambli Arts works on crafting it.
Did you know? In 2011, the Kambli family became the first idol sculptors to patent the Lalbaug cha Raja idol design. As the demand for replicas went up and several other sculptors began copying the idol's style and features, Ratnakar Kambli (who currently heads Kambli arts) applied for a patent, making this the first ever case of patent application for an idol.
Over the years, while themes and idols have changed, one thing remains the same. The mandal, including locals, have always taken a step ahead when it comes to spreading awareness on social issues. Today, while the mandal does not have backdrops based on social activities, they organise events that help several major causes. Some of the prominent causes includes a dialysis centre, regular blood donation drives, plasma donation camp during the covid-19 crisis, computer training institutes with nominal fees, free IAS coaching among others.
No wonder they say - The King's empire is filled with love and support for everyone.
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Love,
The Dancebee
Decoding the world of Mohenjo Daro | Ashutosh Gowariker - Exclusive Interview
Ashutosh Gowariker is undoubtedly one of India's most celebrated directors. The maverick film maker is best known for films that celebrate the nation's rich history with grandeur and interesting narratives. In a career that spans across two decades, the actor - director and producer has won accolades, awards and global praise for his films. After a hiatus of six years, with an exception of his telly series debut - Everest, Gowariker is back with yet another gem, featuring Hrithik Roshan and newbie Pooja Hegde in the lead. The film, titled Mohenjo Daro, is based on the life and times of the people living in the Indus Valley Civilisation - an era that we've all been introduced to through books, but have never experienced on the big screen. As the film gets ready for a grand release this Friday, we met the director for an insightful chat at his beautiful office in suburban Mumbai. Excerpts from the conversation:
Why were you keen on exploring the era of Mohenjodaro through your film?
Mohenjodaro is our first civilisation. While scripting the film, I was looking at it as a civilisation set 4000 years ago. Recent developments suggest that the civilisation was set 8000 years ago. So, it truly was one of the very first civilisations. We need to take great pride in that fact and make ourselves aware about what this civilisation was all about, who were the people and what times were they living in. We need to go beyond the little paragraphs in our school textbooks and artefacts stare at us in the museum. My aim was to give it a visual splendour and allow the India of today to get a taste of what it was like to live in the Mohenjodaro era.
How do you aim to form a connect between the youth of today, and the Mohenjodaro era?
We have all been in awe of films based on Roman or Greek civilisation, filled with grandeur and larger than life sets, but we never gave importance to a civilisation that was set in our very own country. The film does have relevance to today’s times, which I have tried to imbibe in the script. There is a sense of connect, which I hope the audience will have.
What is it about the Indus valley civilisation that attracted you the most?
The very fact that this is about a world that we all don’t know much about is what attracted me most to it. It’s pre-history, an era that has nothing written about. The period comes between stone age & iron age. Somewhere, you can compare that to the period between Nokia and iPhone, which had a Blackberry in between. The tools, implements, their concepts and it’s evolution was still in a very transient stage. I found that very exciting. It was a world where inventions happened. It’s a world where people are still trading with precious stones, like a Lajward (Lapis lazuli). It’s a completely different business module, which was fascinating. So, for me even getting into this era, by the way of this script, was to discover all these aspects.
What were your references for the costumes and looks of the characters in Mohenjo Daro?
All our references for the character looks were the figurines found from Mohenjodaro, Harappa and across all the excavations, even the ones in India like Kali Bangan, Rakhigarhi among others. With the help of archaeologists and the figurines, we imagined each aspect, right from the headdress to the clothes, and then built it from there. Precious stones were mostly worn as jewellery, by both men and women. We stuck to dhoti for men, as it is one of the oldest styles, though the draping style was changed. So, we tried to built things by not just depending on the figurines or our imagination, but also took inspiration from the oldest records that we had. Sites like the Ajanta - Ellora caves and even several frescoes were studied.
For the sets, we first started off by working with the archeologists. Each one of them specialised in different faculties, ranging from urban city planning, to pottery among others. We did a lot of research with them. Since these were facts, we had to ensure things looked exactly the same size. The Great Bath that we see in the song Tu Hai, is exactly the same size as it was in Mohenjo Daro. So, we tried to stay true to all the facts that we had in front of us and did justice to it.
Almost all your films have explored Indian history or have had the essence of India as it's core. Does that come from the fact that you take a lot of pride in being an Indian, and take a lot of inspiration from it's rich past?
Of course, I do take a lot pride in our rich history. There are so many eras, dynasties and parts of the country. They all have a tale to tell. So much, that I don’t know how they can all be told on the big screen. There are so many monuments; palaces and forts that are left behind, which you can look at with splendour. Most of us are only familiar with the Mughal era or the British Raj, because of the history we are taught or what the monuments that we see. But, if you travel to the interiors of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa or many other states, you will realise that there is so much more. The Gajapathies, Krishnadevraya; empires that were so massive and existed at a time. But then, they are just confined to a few pages in the history books. We haven’t got a cinematic rendition of it. So, if I get enamoured by a particular period and tell that story well, I feel good. Ultimately, no matter how good your sets are and how well you create the costumes, it all boils down to a good story to make a film work. The former are all embellishments, but what matters is the story and how well it is weaved along with the characters.
As a director, which project would you consider as the most challenging one?
Without a doubt, Mohenjodaro has been the most challenging film of my career as a director. In the case of Mohenjodaro, I am trying to show how the system started. If you look at Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar or for that matter, any other film of mind, you will realise that there are books, research materials available for reference. Be it the British Raj or the Mughal era, you know there is something that you can lean on, and then imagine the rest. Here, 90% of the work involved creating a world with your own imagination, and 10% was available through research, archaeological facts, excavations among others. So, it was humongous. You know, the manners and morals of the society, costumes, structure of the houses among others.
Any concept that you were keen to explore?
Buddha was something that I wanted explore right after Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey. We had started work on it, but the project had to be aborted due to some reasons. That’s when I started Everest and then moved on scripting Mohenjodaro. I haven't thought about Buddha again. The inspiration to get back to the idea needs come naturally to me.
Creating a different world takes a lot out of the director. Now that the film is complete and ready for release this week, what are your future plans?
I definitely need a break before I start working on my next project. It takes time to create a whole new world, and you need the same amount of time to go away from it. You need to get back to a state where the hard drive is completely empty (laughs) and one needs to reboot, before starting something fresh. I have been reading a lot of stuff and toying with some ideas, but haven’t zeroed in on anything particular for my next project.
I definitely need a break before I start working on my next project. It takes time to create a whole new world, and you need the same amount of time to go away from it. You need to get back to a state where the hard drive is completely empty (laughs) and one needs to reboot, before starting something fresh. I have been reading a lot of stuff and toying with some ideas, but haven’t zeroed in on anything particular for my next project.
Love,
The Dancebee
Here's how Nike Air Max evolved since 1987 | Nike Air Max Day
Nike Air Max has seen constant evolution. One look at the Air Max 2015 (worn in my #BleedBlue post here) and we can't help but say how much the Air Max range has changed over the years. This year, the Nike Air Max completes 28 years on March 26 and fans from across the globe are celebrating this day. Let's take you through a quick journey of Nike's popular range of shoes has seen evolution since 1987.
In 1987, Nike Air was not a new proposition. Runners were already familiar with the benefits of the cushioning technology, which first appeared in the Nike Tailwind in 1978. But seeing is believing, right? So, Nike designer Tinker Hatfield set out to make the breakthrough technology visible, so that the runners could understand its cushioning benefits better. He created the Nike Air Max with Visible Air, which gave birth to a franchise that forever altered the course of sneakers.
The story of visible air didn’t begin with Hatfield’s design. Rather, it started when David Forland, Nike’s Director of Cushioning Innovation, joined the team in 1985. In many respects, Forland is the world’s foremost expert in visible air. He has been focused on pushing the technology into unexplored new territories for the past 30 years. He is also the first to admit that the road to Air Max had its share of obstacles. In the ‘80s, Forland constructed encapsulated Air-Sole prototypes by hand. He stumbled upon a critical moment in visible air history when he rotated the bag, placing the seams on the top and bottom instead of on the perimeter.
At that exact moment the light bulb turned on. I built a new prototype right there on the spot - David Forland
And thus, the first prototype of visible Nike Air technology was born, and the Nike Air Max 1 became the first shoe to showcase it. Prior to this breakthrough, Nike Air-Soles were getting thinner, not larger. In an effort to increase the sensory perception of walking on air, Forland quickly changed the approach.
If you look at the history of Air Max, especially from 1987 to 1993, one of the main differences among models was each version held a greater volume of air than the last one, and conversely the least amount of foam. Foam breaks down; air doesn't - David Forland
During the pursuit of increased air volume, Forland had another aha moment. Eliminating the foam between the outsole and the Air-Sole unit might create space for increased Air-Sole volume. With that idea came the Nike Air Max 180, the first shoe to feature a 180-degree visible Air-Sole — which was no easy task for Forland.
The idea was much easier said than done. The Air Max 180 was one of the most difficult Air Max sneakers to create - David Forland
At that point, the Air Max 1, Air Max 180 and Air Max 90 all featured Air-Sole units in the forefoot that were encapsulated in foam. As the quest for a fully foamless running sneaker continued, the team made a monumental discovery: a new Air-Sole construction method called blow molding. First used on the Nike Air Max 93, this technique allowed for the creation of Air-Soles in 3-D shapes that didn't depend on air pressure. Now, Air-Soles could be crafted to fit the curvature of the shoe’s forefoot. Taking full advantage of the innovation, the Nike Air Max 95, which consisted of two separate blow-molded Air-Sole units, was the first manifestation of visible air in the forefoot.
In 1997, Nike designers and developers cracked the code on how to create a full-length Air-Sole, making a monumental leap forward toward the goal of a fully foamless Air Max. The first step was to construct an interconnected heel and forefoot unit. The next task was to figure out how to hold the molten film long enough to close a full-length 3-D mold around it. Many prototypes and one bullet train later, the Air Max 97 came into existence.
After unlocking full-length air, ideas around air seemed endless. Nike began to focus on other forms of cushioning, one of which was Tuned Air. This innovative play on air cushioning first debuted on the 1999 Nike Air Max Plus and used physical structures to augment the stability of Nike Max Air cushioning. The next advancement came with the Air Max 360 in 2006, which finally attained the goal of a foamless shoe — nearly 20 years after the first Air Max. To create the Air Max 360, Forland’s team utilized Caged Air technology instead of foam as the stabilizer.
The all-air accomplishment did not mark the end of Air Max evolution. Forland’s team had fulfilled its mission, but they could not resist the question of how to further improve the franchise. Forland and the team shifted focus from eliminating foam to increasing flexibility. Utilizing tubular construction, they built deep flex grooves into the Air-Soles of the Nike Air Max 2015, resulting in the most flexible Max Air cushioning platform ever.
After the long journey, Forland learned that innovation doesn't come without risk.
I remember the first blow-molded Air-Sole unit. We worked so hard on that and had no idea if people would embrace it. I was at an airport right around the time the first Air Max sneaker launched. I was calling a tech in the lab when someone walked by wearing a pair. I stared at him from the phone booth and said, ‘Somebody bought them. I see the Air-Sole going up and down.’ It was a big risk, but bigger reward. For the Air Max family, it's only up from here - David Forland
Are you a fan of Nike Air Max? Got an experience to share?
Join the conversation on Twitter at - @priyaadivarekar
By Team Dancebee
