Mumbai Gears Up to Thank ‘Mumbaiwalas’ Mumbai Meri Jaan to Salute Mumbaiwalas: A Photo Tribute to The Real Heroes of Mumbai At Kanakia Zillion Art Gallery

A unique initiative to recognise the contribution of service providers such as Autowalas, Dabbawalas of Mumbai
Mumbai 16th February 2016: Just imagine. In the morning, you are rushing for your office and you don’t find an Autowala or imagine a day when you don’t get your dabba delivered in the office by your Dabbawala, a day when your favourite Chaiwala is closed… Imagine a life in Mumbai without these small, yet important service providers, who are true ‘Mumbaiwalas’! Imagine our Mumbai without these Mumbaiwalas! Even a distant thought of their absence shakes us. The Mumbaiwalas are present in every section of our lives supplying almost every services from transportation to food to groceries, etc.

This fraternity of ‘Walas’ viz. Autowalas, Dabbawalas, Sabziwalas, Chaiwalas, Idliwalas, Doodhwala, Laundrywala, Bhelwala…who touch our daily lives, are an integral part of this vibrant city. They do not only strive hard to provide the best possible services to citizens, but they also have a fair share in the growth, status and prosperity of Mumbai. These Mumbaiwalas deserve appreciation and recognition for their seamless, timely services and for strengthening the economic and social fabric of the city. Now, it is time we appreciate their efforts for making our lives easy and extend our gratitude for their support.

‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’, an initiative by Kanakia Art Foundation, a community services arm of the city’s leading Kanakia Group, has come forward to commemorate the spirit of these true ‘Mumbaiwalas’. ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’ is an endeavour to identify the real hearts and heroes of Mumbai, who are the creators, contributors and the supporters of this great city Mumbai and laud them for their significant contribution for the city’s growth and prosperity. In the second such initiative, by the Kanakia Art Foundation, ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’ this year will salute the spirit of the Mumbaiwalas by assembling them on one platform and recognising their efforts for touching citizens’ lives. As a part of this unique programme, the live photographs of these Mumbaiwalas will be captured and placed

at the Kanakia Zillion Gallery, a landmark of the city’s unique and innovative Art Gallery at Kanakia Zillion, BKC Annexe, in Mumbai.

As a gesture to convey a ‘Big Thank You’ for the services of these ‘Mumbaiwalas’, the citizens of Mumbai have already been invited to click live photographs of the ‘Mumbaiwalas’. The citizens can thus capture photographs of Chaiwala, Bhelwala, Autowala, Doodhwala, Sabziwala, etc. depicting them in action and signifying their dedication.

Delighted to launch this unique initiative, Mr Himanshu B. Kanakia, Managing Director, Kanakia Group said, “We want to showcase Mumbai’s true diversity and thank those who serve the city, day in and day out. Mumbai Meri Jaan is a way to celebrate the live spirit of Mumbai and this year, we want to salute those hands who have touched millions of lives in this city. The real Mumbaiwalas, who are common service providers like Autowalas, Dabbawalas, have important stake in our lives. We want citizens to share a platform with us to recognise the services of these people. We believe that moments captured are cherished and treasured by generations, and history is kept alive with photographs that tells us stories. Mumbai Meri Jaan will give many aspiring, professional photographers chance to showcase their talent and capture the beauty of Mumbaiwalas through their lens.”

The participants can then send their photo entries to Mumbai Meri Jaan. The entries will then be judged by renowned photographer, Mr Atul Kasbekar and the select photographs will be displayed at India’s largest Photo Gallery, Kanakia Zillion Gallery, at BKC Annexe, which houses a collection of more than 20,000 photographs spread over 700 metres of area. These photographs of Mumbaiwalas will add more glory to the spirit of Mumbai and the Gallery.

Kanakia Art Foundation will announce prizes for the winners of the best photographs. It has invited the citizens of Mumbai to participate in this unique initiative by sending more and more photo entries to salute these Mumbaiwalas. It has launched a dedicated media campaign to reach out to the citizens of Mumbai. For more details on participation in the programme, one can visit
www.mumbaimerijaan.info.

About the Author

Sachin Murdeshwar
Sachin Murdeshwar is a Sr.Journalist and Columnist in several Mainline Newspapers and Portals.He is an ardent traveller and likes to explore destinations to the core.