Sunday’s India-Pakistan match fails to deter Mumbaikars from attending Equal Streets

The India-Pakistan match on Sunday morning might have had several Mumbaikars glued to their television-sets but there were still those who decided to take the time out for a session of dance-aerobics, roller-skating or cycling instead. And a lot of them were children. The success of the Equal Streets movement can be attributed to the little ones, trooping over from as far as Malad and Vile Parle with family and friends, to make the most of the vehicle-free roads.

Kalpana Sethi, whose six-year-old son Nachiket, learnt to roller-skate on a previous Sunday, said that this was his favourite part of the week. "We watch the street musicians perform, he plays badminton with his sister sometimes, and I go for a dancercise session. It's almost sort of a ritual now."

The Sethi family is among the approximately 50,000 Mumbaikars who come every week to cycle along a 6.5km car-free stretch. From 7am to 11am every Sunday, a busy Mumbai stretch is opened up to pedestrians, cyclists, yoga enthusiasts and street artists. The Equal Streets initiative is brought to Mumbai by NGOs, think tanks, citizens' associations and cycling groups. The movement is supported by the BMC, Mumbai police and the Times of India. The route extends from Bandra's HP junction down Linking Road before looping back to the junction via SV Road.

"So far, I have gone for the drum circles, played net football, drawn on the ground, and learnt about being an RJ," said eight-year-old Dhaval, as he adjusted his helmet and got ready to cycle with his friend Mayank. The latter added, grinning, "My dad brought me here first, and I used to hate waking up early on Sunday then."

There's something for all ages. Besides amateur artists and musicians showcasing their work, chalk drawings routinely adorn the car-free roads. As part of TOI's 'The Great Indian Litterbug' campaign, students from the National Institute of Fashion Technology have previously also created a chalk outline of India filled in with all kinds of waste along with an image of a girl sweeping up. The campaign aims at re-imagining junk and waste as tools to spur creativity.

A group of tourists from Australia snapped away as the open-air carnival unfolded. "It's our first time in Mumbai and we just stumbled onto this while sight-seeing," says psychology student Krista, smiling. "It's a fun way to spend the morning."

Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Sunday’s India-Pakistan match fails to deter Mumbaikars from attending Equal Streets

Dengan url

http://cegahkeropostulang.blogspot.com/2015/02/sundayas-india-pakistan-match-fails-to.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Sunday’s India-Pakistan match fails to deter Mumbaikars from attending Equal Streets

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Sunday’s India-Pakistan match fails to deter Mumbaikars from attending Equal Streets

sebagai sumbernya