General
Pongal 2024: Mumbai Celebrates Harvest Festival Reflecting Rich Tamil Culture
Nearly 2000 people participated in Pongal festivities in and around Antop Hill on Monday. Mass Pongal celebration was carried out across various locations of the Sion Koliwada constituency and was facilitated by MLA Captain R Tamil Selvan who continues to organise these events embracing the harvest season and Tamil culture for more than a decade now.
In a beautiful display of cultural richness, locals dressed in traditional attires prepared Pongal reciting folk songs, raising the festival mood. The event saw them setting up their Pongal pots in the midst of sugarcane, flowers, and rangolis. The celebration was notably marked at the Antop Hill Cement Ground with about a thousand people lifting the festival spirit on the auspicious day. Other areas that observed Pongal on a grand scale included New 90 Feet Road, Kamaraj Nagar, Vijay Nagar, and the Malai Mariamman temple in Naik Nagar among a few others.
Captain Selvan was seen visiting the spots and joining the public in the celebration. “Pongal is associated with agriculture. Tamilians of various religious beliefs celebrate this festival together without any discrimination. This is the significance of Pongal,” he said while extending Pongal greetings.
The event was not confined to only the Tamil-speaking people celebrating the occasion as it saw women from diverse cultural backgrounds mark the festival. While Tamilians gathered there to celebrate Pongal, others enjoyed the Makar Sankranti festivities in the region with similar rituals involving boiling water and preparing food in their pots.
“Pongalo Pongal” chants were heard during the celebration as women prayed to seek prosperity for their families while boiling and expecting their pots to overflow with the Pongal preparation.
Throwing more light on the harvest festival, the MLA acknowledged that the first dam built in the world was built by Karikala, a Tamilian. “Tamilians introduced the concept of building dams to stop running (river) water and distribute it for agricultural usage. Karikala from the Chola Dynasty constructed the Kallanai Dam over the Kaveri River running in Trichy.”
Several people admire the Tamil language and its treasurable culture, including PM Narendra Modi who recently inaugurated the Kashi Tamil Sangamam at Namo Ghat in Varanasi and mentioned about Pongal and remembered prominent Tamil personalities like Subramania Bharathiyar, Bharathidasan, and Thiruvalluvar.
Maharashtra
Public representatives have high confidence in Shinde’s work, Uddhav Thackeray MPs did not have confidence in his leadership: Milind Deora

Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora strongly criticised the absence of several MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction meeting. He said that only the UBT leadership can answer why UBT MPs did not attend the meeting called by his party. He said that the members who were absent from the meeting lacked faith in their party leadership. Deora said that today the people and public representatives have faith in the work and leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Eknath Shinde sahib works to strengthen the hands of those who trust in Shinde sahib’s leadership. Targeting Sanjay Raut, Milind Deora said that he is not aware of parliamentary traditions and rules. Other UBT MPs should understand what kind of meetings are held and what are the whip rules. On the issue of whip, Deora said that whip is issued only for voting in the House, not for attending any political meeting. This is a parliamentary rule and those who have been members for years should be aware of it. Milind Deora further said that Sanjay Raut sometimes abuses his own MPs, sometimes claims that all MPs are with him, sometimes says that his MPs were given money, and sometimes accuses MPs of corruption. This reflects his contradictory behavior. Sanjay Raut insulted his own MPs. With such behavior, who would want to work with him? He said that no leader has any faith left in the UBT leadership. Public representatives want their leader to be available to them. That is why many leaders still want to work under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena welcomes anyone who wants to work for the development of their area. Our aim is not to weaken anyone but to strengthen the people. Finally, Deora said that the UBT leadership needs to examine itself instead of blaming others. I can only wish them well.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Customs Department sign MoU for conservation and restoration of Mahim Fort

The vision of the conservation and restoration of the Mumbai Mahim Fort is to revive its historical beauty. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that it is a matter of pride and honour that the Municipal Corporation is preserving this fort. An MoU was signed between the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the Customs Department today (June 18, 2026) at the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Headquarters for the conservation and restoration work of Mahim Fort, which has been declared a State Protected Monument.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi, Principal Commissioner of Customs Department Shri Ajay Kumar Pandey, Additional Commissioner of Customs Department Nitin Tagde, Vikram Phadke, Deputy Commissioner (Commissioner Office) of Mumbai Municipal Corporation Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner (South Zone) Prashant Gaikwad, Assistant Commissioner (South Zone) Prashant Gaikwad were also present on the occasion. Yogesh Desai, Advisor on Conservation of Ancient Heritage Vikas Dilawari, Dr. K. K. Sangle, Head of the Department of Structural Engineering, Virmata Jijabai Institute of Technology, etc. were present on the occasion.
As per the directions of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, the conservation and preservation of ancient structures in Mumbai is being done under the guidance of Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi. On this basis, the Municipal Corporation has taken the initiative to conserve and revive the Mahim Fort.
Under this agreement, the dilapidated structure of Mahim Fort will be strengthened and reconstructed. The historical well present in the fort area will be searched and excavated. A pedestrian path will be made all around the interior of the fort. In addition, a protective wall will also be constructed to protect the foundation of the fort. Rs 20 crore has also been allocated for this. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the Municipal Corporation’s G (North) Department has removed the encroachments on the Mahim Fort and rehabilitated the local residents. So now help will be given to restore the glory of this fort. Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi said that the Municipal Corporation has made great efforts to remove the encroachments on the Mahim Fort, which is a historical and ancient heritage, and to preserve it. Now the administration is planning to develop this fort as a tourist destination.
Principal Commissioner of the Customs Department Ajay Kumar Pandey said that apart from being a historical heritage, Mahim Fort is known as the customs station of the Customs Department. The conservation and restoration work undertaken by the Municipal Corporation will make this fort famous. Also, this fort will develop as a tourist destination for Mumbaikars. Mahim is an ancient fort and the descendants of Raja Bimbadev built this fort around the 12th and 13th centuries. Mahim was the main centre of power among the seven islands of Mumbai and this fort is a symbol of that glorious history. The Maharashtra government declared Mahim Fort as a state protected monument in 1975. The total area of the fort is about 3,796.02 sq m. Currently, the fort is under the jurisdiction of the Customs Department. The existing structure of Mahim Fort was encroached upon in the form of slums. After surveying the entire area, proper documents were verified and 275 slums have been rehabilitated in flats available for project victims in Kurla and Malad. However, the restoration of a religious structure is underway.
The restoration and conservation work of the fort is proposed to be carried out under the guidance of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s G (North) Division Office, Customs Department, Advisor on Conservation of Ancient Cultural Heritage Vikas Dilawari and Dr. Sangal K. Jijabai, Head of the Structural Engineering Department of Veermata.
Maharashtra
Operation Tiger rebel MPs in Maharashtra should be disqualified: Abu Asim Azmi

Mumbai: Talking about the ongoing Operation Tiger of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Samajwadi Party Mumbai/Maharashtra state president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi said, “Today’s public representatives, leaders, and workers are no longer guided by ideology, they have become greedy. Those who take the votes of the people and then change parties of their own accord, their positions should be declared null and void.” Abu Asim Azmi further said that if someone contests elections on behalf of a party, he is provided with the party’s flag, banner, symbol and money. Workers are working day and night to ensure the victory of their candidate. Those representatives are elected on the basis of the party’s ideology, and people agree with this ideology, so they vote for them. However, after victory, they rebel against the party. A law should be made that if a candidate joins another party after winning, his position should be declared null and void. Taking a dig at the BJP, he said that the BJP is trying to lure, intimidate and It misuses power to intimidate and bring them into its party. If they do not join, they are sent to jail like Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh, but they were proven innocent. The BJP has tried to create a rift in other parties, which is why many parties have been split into two.
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