Pic: B. Navez Navez Pic: B. BLOOMING Commons Wikimedia IN THE is more SUN than sultry Summer in Mumbai days and warm nights. Those with a discerning eye will notice the myriad shades 3 Pic: J.M.Garg - Wikimedia Commons of nature that have burst across the city 4 Pic: J. M. Garg - Wikimedia Commons Dhanishta Shah @dhanishtashah over two centuries is comfortably settled in Mumbai. The city is ablaze with the scarlet he fierce raging summer heat is upon flowers of the magnificent tree. It is during us. But seasoned city-dwellers know the burning summer that the tree’s flam- Tthat amidst this concrete forest we boyance entices citizens who seek a respite call Mumbai, there are some colourful blos- in the cool shade of its fern-like leaves. The soms on shade-providing trees. They add long seed pods have entertained many chil- cheerful hues to the city landscape, provid- dren of the city. Sarojini Naidu, quite un- ing manna for tired eyes and shade for derstandably asks in the poem, In Praise of weary travellers. For a city that has had a Gulmohur Blossoms, “What can rival your long love affair with flowers, and that has lovely hue, O gorgeous boon of the spring?” Pic: Saad Akhtar - Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia - Akhtar Saad Pic: several streets named after flowering trees Their beauty is clearly unrivalled. 1 that populate it—Laburnum Road for in- stance—summer is a time to celebrate local Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia) blooms. Known for the enthralling colours of trum- Here’s a peek into Mumbai’s summer pet-shaped blossoms, which hang from the gardens with help from veteran botanist tips of the branches in attractive clusters, Usha Mukundan, Principal of Ramniran- Tabebuias are popular and low-mainte- jan Jhunjhunwala College. nance ornamental trees. The pink blooms appear after the tree turns completely leaf- Amaltas (Cassia Fistula) less and stand out against the dark bark of The Indian Laburnum, commonly called the tree. Amaltas, has beautiful bright yellow flow- ers. The indigenous tree is a part of the es- Champa (Michelia Champaca) sence of the city. The popular Laburnum More than the gentle pink or white and Road in South Mumbai is named after these golden blooms, it is the intoxicating fra- beauties. The drooping sprays of the slim grance that makes the Champa alluring. stalks bear the fragrant flowers and buds. The large golden-petalled flowers of the Needless to say, they are a magnet for but- Champa tree are also strongly aromatic terflies, bees and birds. Amaltas is also the thanks to their high diffusivity. They bear state flower of Kerala and holds religious a radiant, soft and spicy sweetness. This significance as it’s used for rituals during flower, in particular, is loved by Indian 5 the Vishu festival, the Kerala new year. women, who wear the nectar-scented blos- 1 Gulmohar (Delonix soms in their hair. Regia) Jungle Jalebi (Pithecellobium Dulce) Do you see a familiar shape taking form of Sita-Ashok (Saraca Indica) 2 Sita-Ashok (Saraca the sweet jalebi (not to mention the fruit The bright orange-yellow flowers of this Indica) that tastes as sweet too)? This plant is pre- tree grow with carefree abundance in a 3 Jungle Jalebi ferred for its support to biodiversity, which canopy like cluster. They turn red before (Pithecellobium makes it a popular one around nature wilting. They also carry a very pleasant Dulce) parks. Its pinkish fruits coil like the jalebi. fragrance which wafts with the summer 4 Trumpet Tree It is home to many a roosting bird and a breeze. It is laden with mythological refer- Pic : Anirudh Kandhari (Tabebuia) variety of little creatures such as ences. Sita was abducted and kept in the Pic : Anirudh Kandhari caterpillars. Ashok-Vatika, full of these trees. Hence, the 5 Amaltas (Cassia tree is revered as much as it is admired for Fistula) 2 Gulmohar (Delonix Regia) its beauty. 6 Champa (Michelia 6 This tree is from Madagascar, but since [email protected] Champaca) A cycle race to promote MUMBai’S mental healthWhat you need to do FIRST The 30 km cycle ride begins at NCPA and goes up “People willing to participate in the cy- cle ride can register themselves on to Bandra Worli Sea Link from where cyclists will Mpower’s official website: www.mpower- minds.com. The registration will be free return to Nariman Point but limited. Participants will have to get their own cycles, but we have listed down @NotJDSalinger mental health conditions thus alleviating places on the website where they can ONE-MAN Jayadev Calamur the stigmas associated with them. rent cycles from, in Mumbai,” added Dr. ide to Mpower, a cycle ride event Zirkar. organised by The Mpower Move- A changing perspective The doctor also added that if an indi- ment, is an initiative started by Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Zirak vidual, during the early stages of mental R Daniel Raguel Pic: Roldwinks Neerja Birla and Ananya Birla to spread Marker, Medical Director of Mpower, illness, exercises, then it can prove to be awareness about the importance of men- said that the general perspective to- of great help. “When you exercise, your BAND tal health and alleviate the stigmas as- wards mental health is changing. “To- body releases chemicals called endor- Meet Gladson Samuel sociated with mental health conditions. day’s youth have no qualms in seeking phins. These endorphins interact with professional help with the insight and the receptors in your brain that reduce Peter, whose love for musical What’s the route education that they have. Also, in today's your perception of pain. Endorphins The cycle ride will begin in South Mum- times, parents are being far more vigi- also trigger a positive feeling in the body instruments has inspired him bai this Sunday, April 24, at 6.45 a.m. The lant with regards to their children's and help with mental health-related is- Gladson wearing his event, which already has 1,000 registered mental health,” he told dna. sues greatly,” he said. to become a one-man one-man band harness, cyclists participating, will have the riders While the group isn’t raising money [email protected] plays more than 12 covering a distance of 30 km starting as it is a free ride for the participants, band. He is soon hitting the instruments at a time from NCPA and going up to Bandra Worli the ultimate idea is to increase aware- Sea Link and returning to Nariman ness. Many cyclists, we were told, will be public sphere with his many Point. Through Ride To Mpower, the carrying placards to promote awareness talents movement aims to inspire and encourage about conditions that affect individuals everyone to initiate conversations about emotionally and mentally. Ranjana Maria @maria_ranjana dream on a piece of paper. My dream start around end of May. was to play a number of instruments It’s fascinating to watch him wear laying a number of instruments all at once and to bring forth music that more than 12 instruments and play since a young age, Gladson, an is wholesome,” he says. them in a coordinated fashion. Some of Potherwise ordinary Mumbai boy, “The idea of a one-man band goes the instruments used by him are the has discovered a new way to put smiles way back into history; it’s not a new bass drum, snare drum, hit-hat cym- on people’s faces. He is a one-man band, style,” he adds. If you have watched the bals, acoustic guitar, pianica/melodica, a concept new to India and often mis- famous music video by Coldplay titled harmonica, kazoo, slide whistle, tam- understood. Largely practised by musi- A Sky Full of Stars you may be able to bourine and ghungroos.When asked cians abroad, a one-man band refers to get a sense of the concept. However, whether he preferred one instrument the ability to play a number of instru- each instrument has its own draw- over the other, he says, “The drums and ments all at once by the same person. backs in terms of the genre that you the ukulele have always been my fa- In order to appreciate this art, it is im- can play. Gladson expressed a conflict- vourite instruments, but I’d never shy portant to understand its complexity that he faces. “I can only play upbeat away from experimenting with new and the effort put in to bring alive a tunes and not soulful music, which has methods of making music.” band, orchestrated by one person alone. a beauty of its own because it sets the Perched perfectly on his back the mood right away.” whole set-up weighs more than 25 kg. The history Yet, with a smile on his face, Gladson Starting off with NSPA (Natural What’s hot continues to practise near his resi- Streets for Performing Art), Gladson Currently teaching music to others, dence as passersby wait to watch, cheer has performed publicly on the ukulele. Gladson is also gearing up for well- and applaud. You can catch the one- Recently, he fixed his goal on doing known talent show, India’s Got Talent. man band soon on the much-awaited something unique, as he built his own Clearing all the preliminary rounds, it India’s Got Talent, or you can watch set-up for the band, which would go as came as a surprise to him when he got him play live at various venues across a harness on his back. “When I was in through to the qualifying round of the the city via the NSPA group.