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Prayers, Food, & Games: Lakhs Expected To Visit Mahim Fair That Starts Tomorrow

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The 10-day annual fair at the dargah of  Makhdum Ali Mahimi at Mahim will start on December 27 as it has always, with a procession of personnel from the Mahim police station walking to the shrine bearing gifts of a chadar, a shawl to cover the tomb, and scented offerings. The fair starts six days after the Urs, or the death anniversary of the saint which was observed last week. 

The shrine of Makhdum Ali Mahimi

The shrine is revered as the tomb of a religious scholar believed to have lived between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Stories of miraculous cures bring thousands of pilgrims to the dargah which is the city’s second-most-visited Sufi shrine after the Haji Ali dargah.The shrine observed the saint’s 610th death anniversary or Urs on December 21 which corresponded to the eighth day of the Islamic month Jamadul Akhir which began on December 14. The Urs began last week with the unfurling of the national flag and singing of the song ‘Sare jahan se acha’. This is followed by the raising of the flags of the police and the dargah.  

Event is a ‘gazetted mela’

Sohail Khandwani, trustee of the Pir Makhdum Saheb Charitable Trust, said that the fair that takes place around the shrine during the Urs is a ‘gazetted mela’ as the event is listed in government gazettes from the pre-independence days. “The fair started in 1910, so this is the 113th year,” said Khandwani.  

For a religious place, the shrine has an unusual feature – a copy of the preamble to the Constitution of India mounted on the wall near the Ashtana or the shrine’s inner sanctum which houses the saint’s tomb.

Mansoor Khan of the Sufi Islamic Board said that the idea behind placing the preamble’s copy is to show that no place in the country is untouched by the theme of nationalism. “As things are today, shrines are shown in a negative light. We have to show that there is no religious discrimination at this place. Dargahs are inclusive and embracers of national culture,” explained Khan.  

More about ‘Mahim ka Mela’

Apart from the spiritual aspects of the festival, the ‘Mahim ka Mela’, organised like a carnival, is an attraction for visitors. As the number of visitors to the fair has grown, the event, which was once confined to the narrow Dargah Street, has shifted to Balamia Street and extends to Mahim Beach. More than five lakh people are expected to visit the fair.

Ashraf Ahmed Shaikh, a lawyer and resident of Mahim said, “It is like a traditional fair, with amusement rides. Shopkeepers come from all over India to sell different kinds of food. The main dish at the fair is ‘Halwa Paratha’. As kids we were excited about the fair,” said Shaikh.

There is no authentic record of how the Mumbai police became involved with the shrine’s annual festival, but it is said that personnel prayed to the saint when there was a particularly difficult crime case to be investigated. Other than the police, officials from the traffic police, the Brihahmumbai Municipal Corporation, and the Mumbai Port Trust are involved in managing traffic and stalls at the fair.  

 1st dargah trust to get an ISO certification in 2007

The shrine is the first dargah trust to get an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification in 2007 for management practices. The certificate has been renewed till July 2025. The certificate acknowledges the trust’s calibre in organising the Urs, the religious research it facilitates, and the library services charity activities of the trust.

The shrine houses a 600-year-old Quran believed to have been written by the saint. An annual exposition called the ‘Quran Sharief Ziyarat’ is held on a day in the month of Ramzan when the book is displayed to the faithful for a few hours. During the rest of the year, the book is kept in a silver box in the Ashtana. The shrine’s managers said that the book was stitched together a century ago with pages written by the saint. 

Maharashtra

‘Manhole Rail Guard’ prototype developed to protect Mumbai manholes inspected by ritu Tawde, pilot testing to be done in ‘L’ ward

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Mumbai: A prototype of a rectangular shaped ‘Manhole Rail Guard’ has been developed by an organisation to enhance public safety during manhole related operations and to ensure the safety of personnel engaged in maintenance and repair work. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar personally inspected the prototype at the Municipal Corporation headquarters today (July 13, 2026). Several corporators were also present on the occasion. The process of reviewing the details of the prototype has been completed. Suggestions were given to improve its effective use. Their recommendations included making the rail guard collapsible so that its size can be easily adjusted to the dimensions of the manhole, and incorporating reflective paint or flashing lights to enhance visibility in low-light conditions. Prioritizing the safety of citizens and municipal staff, the square-shaped ‘manhole rail guard’ has been designed to be sturdy and easy to handle. Measuring 1 meter high, 1.5 meters long, and 1.5 meters wide, the rail guard is available in two weight variants of 225 kg and 80 kg to meet different operational needs and site requirements. The prototype will be deployed on a pilot basis in the ‘L’ administrative ward of Mumbai. After actual implementation in this ward, the final design of the ‘Manhole Rail Guard’ will be decided based on operational experience, technical requirements, and feedback from municipal staff and citizens. Furthermore, the municipal administration will decide whether to extend the use of this prototype to all other administrative wards of Mumbai after reviewing the insights and feedback gained during this pilot trial.

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Maharashtra

State-of-the-art emergency ward and emergency medical services complex inaugurated at Nair Hospital, Mayor Ritu Tawde and other dignitaries inspected the facility

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The state-of-the-art, newly constructed ‘Accident and Emergency Medical Services Complex’ at Nair Charitable Hospital, managed by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and located in Mumbai Central, was inaugurated today (July 13, 2026) at Mumbai BYL.

The services were inaugurated after an inspection of the new complex and its departments in the presence of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde. Ritu Tawde, Leader of Opposition Kishori Pednekar, Samajwadi Party Group Leader and local corporator Amreen Abrhani, Improvement Committee Chairperson Scindia Doshi, Public Health Committee Chairperson Praharish Bhandarge, Women and Child Welfare Committee Chairpersons Permanent Two Days, Corporators Rohidas Lokhande and Ajay Patil, Deputy Commissioner (Public Health) Sharad Ugade, Director (Medical Education and Major Hospitals) and Dean of Nair Hospital Dr Shailesh Mohte, Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Chandrakant Pawar, other dignitaries and concerned officers were present. Meanwhile, a formal inauguration ceremony was planned for the Accident and Emergency Medical Services Complex at Nair Hospital. However, the ceremony was cancelled as the central government had declared a one-day national mourning in India on July 12, 2026, following the demise of Qatar’s ‘Father Emir’ former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. On this occasion, tributes were paid to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. However, given the priority and need to start medical services, the dignitaries inspected the new complex, and the services were launched.
Information on the Casualty and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Complex at Nair Hospital
A state-of-the-art Casualty and Emergency Medical Services Department has been established at Nair Hospital to meet the minimum standard requirements prescribed by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

This is a major and important infrastructure project undertaken as part of the ‘Prime Projects Development’ under the Nair Hospital expansion project. The expansion scheme also includes an upcoming Oncology (Cancer) building, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) quarters, and an L-shaped building. The integration of a 24-hour Casualty Department and modern Emergency Medical Services enables the provision of fast, high-quality medical treatment to patients. After successful completion of construction and receipt of all statutory No Objection Certificates (NOCs), the complex was handed over to the Nair Hospital administration on 25th June 2026. This new complex paves the way for the next phase of the hospital’s development. The old Casualty Department building will now be demolished to make way for the construction of a modern, 20-storey residential complex for Resident Medical Officers (RMOs).

Phase Start of Operation
To ensure optimum patient safety and clinical efficiency, operations in this fully (centrally) air-conditioned department will commence in two separate phases. Phase 1 (Immediately Operational)In this initial phase, key medical services — such as Accident Department, Emergency Medical Services, Triage Ward, Paediatrics, Orthopaedics, Surgery, and a Minor Operation Theatre (Minor OT) — have been started immediately.Phase 2 (Forthcoming)
Modern emergency diagnostic and testing services will be introduced soon.

Facility Layout and Highlights
The department is thoughtfully designed over two floors with the aim of ensuring rapid patient assessment, timely emergency treatment, and seamless administrative operations.
The ground floor is designed to facilitate rapid patient assessment and stabilization, focusing on prompt assessment, treatment, and initial diagnosis.

Administrative and Triage Center A dedicated ‘Scheme Registration Office’ is located here to streamline patient registration and initial screening. Additionally, there is a ‘Casualty Medical Officer (CMO) Room’ to handle medico-legal matters.

Specialist Consultation Rooms – This area includes separate rooms for specialists in General Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, and Orthopaedics, as well as a ‘General Examination Room’.
Emergency Treatment A fully equipped ‘Minor Operation Theatre’ (Minor OT) is available for minor emergency surgical procedures. ‘Golden Hour’ Management – An 8-bed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ward, equipped with facilities to provide intensive care during the first hour of an emergency, has been established.

Diagnostics and Safety The facility includes an X-ray room for immediate imaging and a ‘patient-free decontamination room’ for the safe decontamination of patients exposed to toxic or hazardous substances.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Fake doctor arrested for cheating Rs 10 crore, used to provide medical services without a certificate, major action by Crime Branch

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Mumbai: Crime Branch has succeeded in arresting a fake doctor who has been practicing medicine without a certificate for the last 28 years. The Mumbai Crime Branch unit was busy in carrying out the investigation and received a tip-off that a suspected 50 year old man had prepared the documents of a fake doctor. By opening accounts in multiple banks, SSR deposits funds into these accounts. The accused also has a personal flat. He has committed a lot of fraud in the name of CSR Fund. He has committed a fraud of Rs 10 crore in the last three years in the name of Dr Dharinder Kumar. PAN card and identity card, visiting card had been prepared and medicines were also recovered from his stash, but the police found him a fraud. A case has been registered under the Medical Act and other charges and the court has ordered to keep him in police custody till July 16. This action Mumbai Police Commissioner Divine Bharti’s name is being helmed by Police Commissioner Anil Kambhare and DDCP Raj Takk Roshan.

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