Announcing Talk 322 #GuardiansOfTheCoast – Tamil Nadu's Muslim Maritime Legacy | Online Talk by Dr Torsten Tschacher Often seen as a land of temples and colourful processions, Tamil Nadu is not commonly associated with Islam. Yet, Muslims have played a vital role in the state's history for over a thousand years. Islam first arrived through Arab and Persian traders who supplied horses to Tamil kingdoms and carried pearls and other goods across the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. At our talk #GuardiansOfTheCoast, researcher Dr Torsten Tschacher traces the rise of Muslim communities across the Tamil region and their growing importance in trade, artisanal production, and military service. He examines how, by the sixteenth century, Tamil Muslim merchants had become key players in Bay of Bengal trade, linking South India with Southeast Asia and China. He also explores how Tamil Muslims adapted to European colonialism, extending their commercial reach deeper into Southeast Asia, and highlights their enduring contribution to the history, economy, and cultural life of Tamil Nadu. Sat | 20th June | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/gua… About the speaker: Torsten Tschacher is a Heisenberg Fellow of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and lecturer for Tamil at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. His research focusses on the history and discursive traditions of Tamil-speaking Muslims around the Bay of Bengal. His book Race, Religion, and the ‘Indian Muslim’ Predicament in Singapore was published in 2018 with Routledge. He has also translated two novels from Tamil to German. #TamilMuslims #KhakiLab #OnlineTalk #MuslimsHeritage #TradeRoutes #TamilNaduHistory

At the #JewelsOfIndia KHAKI talk at Khaki Lab this morning, art historian, museologist, and educator Dr. Nayana Tadvalkar, spoke about the life, work and legacies of the Navratnas of Indian art, from Rabindranath Tagore to Amrita Sher-Gil. With a carefully curated selection of artworks for each artist, she traced the evolution and journey of Indian art across different periods. The informative session was packed with unique insights, intriguing anecdotes, and little-known facts that kept the audience captivated throughout. The attendees thoroughly enjoyed the session and came away with a deeper appreciation of the artists and their contributions. Await more such illuminating events at Khaki Lab! #IndianArt #KhakiTalks #KhakiLab #Navaratna #ArtAndCulture #ArtistsOfIndia

#TopicalThrowback The monsoon is delayed this year. Time to recite this poem from our school days! ☔︎📷 ये रे ये रे पावसा, तुला देतो पैसा; पैसा झाला खोटा, पाउस आला मोठा! पाउस पडतो रिमझिम, आंगण झाले ओलेचिंब; पाउस पडतो मुसळधार, रान होई हिरवेगार!! ये ग ये ग सरी, माझे मडके भरी सर आली धावून मडके गेले वाहून! #Mumbai #MumbaiRains #MumbaiBaarish #KhakiLab

Announcing Talk 323 #TheStoryOfUs – How Stone Tools Shaped Humanity | Online Talk by Malavika Chatterjee The prehistory of our species spans more than 300,000 years across continents and oceans, long before the first cities, writing and recorded history. Yet, these early human signatures reveal remarkable continuity and adaptation that shaped humanity, from art and language to technology. One of the oldest and most enduring technologies developed by ancient humans is lithic (stone tool) technology. At our Online Talk #TheStoryOfUs, archaeologist Malavika Chatterjee examines these innovative tools, from the earliest cores and flakes to the more complex handaxes and microliths, as well as their relationship with changing landscapes across key milestones in human history. Using stone tools as a window into the deep past, she explores what they can tell us about human evolution, cognition, culture, and adaptation – helping us unravel the story of us. Sat | 27th June | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/the… About the speaker Malavika Chatterjee is an archaeologist and researcher with over a decade of experience in archaeological research, excavations, and explorations. She holds a BA in History from the University of Delhi, and an MA and PhD in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology from Deccan College Post–Graduate and Research Institute, Pune. Currently an IIT Gandhinagar Postdoctoral Fellow and an Ashoka Fellow in Ancient and Medieval Indian History/Archaeology, her work focusses on Indian Palaeolithic archaeology, lithic technology, digital documentation, and archaeological research. Passionate about public archaeology, heritage outreach, and open – access research, she has multiple publications and has also been a heritage mapper and walk conductor. Pic: Owen Edwards (2010) #Archaeology #StoneTools #OnlineTalk #HumanOrigins #Anthropology #AncientCivilisations #KhakiLab #ScienceOfThePast

BOMBAY TO POONAH This day, 168 years ago, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (today's Central Railway) opened the Khandala – Poona railway line to passenger traffic, making it possible to travel by train from Mumbai to Pune. There was, however, one hitch: the Bhor Ghat section was not completed until 1863. As a result, passengers had to get down at Khopoli and continue to Khandala by palanquin, pony, or bullock cart before boarding a train again! #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage #IndianRailways #RailwayHistory #CentralRailway #KhakiLab

At the KHAKI Talk #JewelsOfIndia at Khaki Lab, Fort, art historian Dr Nayana Tadvalkar explores the lives, works, and legacies of nine iconic Indian artists, including Raja Ravi Varma, Abanindranath Tagore and Nicholas Roerich. She will also share fascinating stories from their lives and work. 📍Sun | 14th June 2026 | 11 AM – 12.30 PM | Khaki Lab, Fort Admission Free. Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/jew… #IndianArt #KhakiTalks #KhakiLab #Navaratna #ArtAndCulture #ArtistsOfIndia

THE END OF A POWERFUL SCRIPT Today marks the 56th death anniversary of Prahlad Keshav Atre, affectionately known as Acharya Atre. He was a teacher, a playwright, a screenwriter, a film producer and film-maker, a journalist and editor, and even a political figure. Known for his oratory, he led the Samyukta Maharashtra movement and was an MLA. His printing press from where he published fiery editorials against then Chief Minister Morarji Desai was located close to the chowk named after him in Worli. He is the only political figure whose name has been given to 2 stations in Mumbai – Acharya Atre Chowk (Metro) in Worli and Acharya Atre Nagar (Monorail) in Wadala. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #Mumbai #MumbaiHistory #Maharashtra #MaharashtraHistory #SamyuktaMaharashtra #AcharyaAtre #Politics #Press #Marathi #Literature #KhakiLab

At our Online Talk #HighlightingHeritage, travel photographer Ajay Sood explores how architecture reflects not just history, but what societies choose to remember. From globally recognised icons like the Taj Mahal and Khajuraho to overlooked sites in Morena, Jammu, and rural India, he classifies heritage as thriving, surviving, or forgotten. Sat | 13th June | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/hig… #OnlineTalk #TravelPhotography #HeritageTalks #CulturalHeritage #KhakiLab #PhotoDocumentary

At the KHAKI Talk #JewelsOfIndia at Khaki Lab, Fort, art historian Dr Nayana Tadvalkar explores the lives, works, and legacies of nine iconic Indian artists, including Raja Ravi Varma, Abanindranath Tagore and Nicholas Roerich. She will also share fascinating stories from their lives and work. 📍Sun | 14th June 2026 | 11 AM – 12.30 PM | Khaki Lab, Fort Admission Free. Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/jew… #IndianArt #KhakiTalks #KhakiLab #Navaratna #ArtAndCulture #ArtistsOfIndia

At our Online Talk #HighlightingHeritage, travel photographer Ajay Sood explores how architecture reflects not just history, but what societies choose to remember. From globally recognised icons like the Taj Mahal and Khajuraho to overlooked sites in Morena, Jammu, and rural India, he classifies heritage as thriving, surviving, or forgotten. Sat | 13th June | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/hig… #OnlineTalk #TravelPhotography #HeritageTalks #CulturalHeritage #KhakiLab #PhotoDocumentary

A VICTORY FOR THE LABOUR MOVEMENT #DidYouKnow? Until 1890, Mumbai's mill workers had no weekly day off, working throughout the year except on a few Hindu festivals. Determined to improve their conditions, Rao Bahadur Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, the Father of the Indian Labour Movement, founded the Bombay Mill Hands Association. This day, 136 years ago, the Mill Owners' Association finally gave in to its demands and introduced Sunday as a weekly holiday for mill workers, marking a major milestone in the Indian labour movement. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #Mumbai #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage #BombayMills #TextileMills #Workers #WorkerUnion #History #Heritage #IndianHistory #OnThisDay

A BANDRA BANDSTAND LANDMARK This day, 69 years ago, Fr Conceicao Rodrigues, a Catholic priest from Portuguese-ruled Goa and a supporter of Goa’s integration with India, established the Father Agnel Ashram in a former Parsi bungalow at Bandra’s Land's End. It began as an orphanage and a vocational training centre for carpentry, along with a small shrine dedicated to the Venerable Fr Agnel, the saintly Goan priest after whom the institution was named. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #Mumbai #MumbaiHistory #HistoryLovers #MumbaiHeritage #BandraHeritage #Goa #CRIT #Bandra #Bandstand #KhakiLab

At our Online Talk #HighlightingHeritage, travel photographer Ajay Sood explores how architecture reflects not just history, but what societies choose to remember. From globally recognised icons like the Taj Mahal and Khajuraho to overlooked sites in Morena, Jammu, and rural India, he classifies heritage as thriving, surviving, or forgotten. Sat | 13th June | 6 PM | Zoom Admission Free Register now: khakitours.com/itinerary/hig… #OnlineTalk #TravelPhotography #HeritageTalks #CulturalHeritage #KhakiLab #PhotoDocumentary

#HeritageNewsAlert The Sunday @htTweets today highlights the work of researchers, writers, artists, and archivists documenting Mumbai’s built and intangible heritage amid rapid urban change. Among those featured are Team KHAKI members Esa Shaikh, whose work reinterprets the history of Kamathipura, and Shormistha Mukherjee, who is documenting Bandra’s fading communities and cultural memories through oral histories. Read the entire article here: hindustantimes.com/cities/mu… #Heritage #Mumbai #MumbaiHeritage #Kamathipura #Bandra #OralHistory #UrbanHeritage #HindustanTimes #KhakiLab #TeamKhaki

At the KHAKI Talk #JewelsOfIndia at Khaki Lab, Fort, art historian Dr Nayana Tadvalkar explores the lives, works, and legacies of nine iconic Indian artists, including Raja Ravi Varma, Abanindranath Tagore and Nicholas Roerich. She will also share fascinating stories from their lives and work. 📍Sun | 14th June 2026 | 11 AM – 12.30 PM | Khaki Lab, Fort Admission Free. Register now at: khakitours.com/itinerary/jew… #IndianArt #KhakiTalks #KhakiLab #Navaratna #ArtAndCulture #ArtistsOfIndia

MUMBAI’S FIRST MAJOR MASS TRANSIT PROJECT SINCE THE SUBURBAN RAILWAY This day, 12 years ago, Mumbai's first metro line opened to the public, marking the beginning of a new era in the city's transport history. Running from Versova to Ghatkopar, Metro Line 1 finally solved one of Mumbai's biggest commuting challenges: east-west connectivity. While the suburban railway had long connected the city north-to-south, travelling across the suburbs often meant sitting through endless traffic, crowded buses, and dozens of signals. The metro cut the journey from nearly two hours to just over twenty minutes. The project was discussed, studied, delayed, redesigned, and debated for years before the first train finally rolled out on 8 June 2014. What began as an 11-kilometre elevated corridor would eventually pave the way for the vast city-wide metro network Mumbai is building today. #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiMetro #BlueLine #MumbaiHistory #TodayInMumbaiHistory #Versova #Ghatkopar #MumbaiCommute

A MAHARAJAH FLIES ABROAD This day, 78 years ago, ₹1,720 would get you a one-way ticket on Air India's maiden international flight, a 40-seater Lockheed L-749 Constellation aircraft named the “Malabar Princess” that took off from Mumbai's Santa Cruz Airport bound for London. It had a real-life Maharajah on board – Nawab Amir Ali Khan of Jamnagar, along with JRD Tata and two cyclists travelling to represent India at the 1948 Olympic Games in Wembley. Believe it or not, the journey took two days, as the aircraft had to stop in Cairo and Geneva for refuelling! #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #Mumbai #Bombay #History #Heritage #Maharashtra #Aviation #Tata #TataSons #AirIndia #AirAsia #CivilAviation

YEH AKASHWANI HAI #DidYouKnow? Radio came to India 13 years before All India Radio was formed! The country's first radio broadcast was transmitted by the Bombay Presidency Radio Club in June 1923. Four years later, the Indian Broadcasting Company began operations with stations in Bombay and Calcutta, but financial difficulties forced it into liquidation in 1930. The Government then took over and established the Indian State Broadcasting Service. This day, 90 years ago, the service was renamed All India Radio, later known to millions simply as ‘Akashvani.’ #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #Mumbai #MumbaiHistory #MumbaiHeritage #Radio #AIR #AllIndiaRadio #RadioClub #FMRadio #HistoryLovers

THE CROWNING OF A KING This day, 352 years ago, Shivaji Maharaj was crowned Chhatrapati at the Raigad Fort in a ceremony that formally transformed him from a powerful chieftain into an independent sovereign king. The coronation marked the formal establishment of the Maratha Swarajya and asserted Shivaji's status on equal footing with the great powers of his time. Scholars, nobles, diplomats, and visitors from across India gathered at Raigad for the historic occasion. #DidYouKnow? Mumbai was represented at the coronation! Among the distinguished guests was Henry Oxenden, an envoy of the English East India Company representing the Bombay regiment. His detailed diary remains one of the most important eyewitness accounts of the coronation. According to his account, he was invited to the foot of the throne, where Shivaji Maharaj acknowledged the visitors and honoured them with robes before continuing the day's ceremonies. #ThisDayThatYear #ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj #Mumbai #Bombay #TodayInMumbaiHistory #coronation #MarathaSwarajya #Raigad

A PEACEFUL COMMUNITY PROTESTS In the summer of 1832, the British enacted a law to rid the city of its stray dog menace and incentivised dog catchers to capture and kill them. To make more money, the unscrupulous dog-catchers started rounding up pet dogs as well. This day, 194 years ago, the Parsis of Mumbai, who accord a special place to dogs in their religion, took to the streets in protest. Two constables were attacked in the melee, and a full-fledged riot broke out as the British cracked down on the protest and members of other communities also joined in support of the Parsis. #TodayInMumbaiHistory #ThisDayThatYear #MumbaiHistory #Mumbai #Fort #Riots #Parsi #StrayDogs #DogRiots