This weekend, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) hosts two major events - the Food for Thought fest on the Sabarmati Riverfront and the Bonsai and Topiary show on the Oxygen Park at Sindhu Bhavan Road (SBR), both on till Sunday. The food for thought fest co-hosted by South Asian Association for Gastronomy (SAAG) features pavillions that lay out food ranging from the street, to luxury hotels and even offers temple bhog and "wellness cuisines". The three day fest that began March 8, will also host talks and panel discussions in the “Thought Fest” segment, featuring celebrity speakers, sports icons and authors. It will also feature cookery workshops with master chefs of the region. Some of the prominent personalities expected to participate are Netflix Star Chef Asma Khan from London, Bangladesh TV Star Chef Nahid Osman, internationally acclaimed author & food critic Rashmi Uday Singh, legendary chef Manjit Gill, chef Suvir Saran, celebrity chef Anahita Dhondy, author Rohini Rana from Nepal, Padma Shri Dr Pushpesh Pant, Supermodel Lakshmi Rana, fashion designer Nikhil Mehra, Nawab Kazim Ali Khan of Rampur and Maharani Radhika Raje Gaekwad of Baroda, among others, as per a release. On Friday, the royal pavillion featured cuisine from the royal families of Balasinor and Chhota Udepur at the royal pavillion. The other royals to feature are from Gondal, Dhenkanal in Odisha, Limbdi and Gwalior. the Spiritual pavillion will serve food offered at the temples of Lord Jagannath in Puri and the Radha Raman Temple in Vrindavan ,accompanied by live performances. Among the street food featured are Rajkot's famous Mayur Bhajiya to the Iscon Ganthiya. Enclosed is also a Coffee pavillion by Jaipur's Coffee Sutra. Ahmedabad-based rock band Apostrophe is also among those performing. On display is the 1950 MG YT car named 'Lal Pari' by its owners who took it all the way up to UK last year, in a journey commemorating the 76th year of India's independence. Sessions and workshops will be conducted from 12 pm to 6 pm, allowing participants to engage in contemporary issues with panellists, and learn from chefs. The participants will also include experts from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Event name: Food for Thought Organisers: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) & South Asian Association for Gastronomy (SAAG) How to Attend: Tickets through BookMyShow and on-site Date and Time: Till March 10, 12 pm- 9.45 pm Event Name: Exhibition: Kaghazi Pairahan About the Event: Kaghazi Pairahan offers a reading room that reflects upon these matters of dissent, resistance, and social justice with programs that will explore the possibilities of photography and the forms it takes as resistance in the present moment. The curators of the exhibitions are Devadeep Gupta who is an artist and filmmaker based in Assam and Akshay Mahajan who is an artist whose professional engagements with the visual arts also take shape through writing, teaching and curation. Venue: Arthshila, Ahmedabad Organisers: Editions JOJO How to Attend: Walk in Date and Time: (Saturday) 9 March, 2024, 6:00pm Event Name: Ahmedabad Commons About the Event: Ahmedabad Commons aims to bring together architecture and citizens and discuss relevant issues regarding the state and role of architecture in Ahmedabad, bringing awareness to the city’s Architecture. It is an annual architecture ‘open house’ weekend. Over two days the public is given the opportunity to visit some of Ahmedabad’s important buildings. These visits are intended to enable the people to see the exemplary architecture of the city and to understand the difference good design can make to the city. Venue: Arthshila, Ahmedabad Organisers: Arthshila How to Attend: Walk in Date and Time: (Sunday) 10 March, 2024, 5:30pm Event Name: Play: Ram Aur Shyam About the Event: The drama revolves around a female lodging housekeeper, a servant, and two tenants, Ram and Shyam. On one particular day, the thunder strikes, and they all learn it’s much more than what it seems on the surface. Venue: Prayogshala, Ahmedabad Organisers: Prayogshala How to Attend: For tickets, call 8154035970. Date and Time: (Saturday) 9 March, 2024, 8:30pm Event Name: Play: Darwin About the Event: A Hindi play on seven candidates being locked together in a room for an employment assessment exam to join the ranks of a mysterious, powerful & lucrative corporation. In the final stage of their test, they’re given one question that has only one answer. Though seemingly simple, it doesn’t take much time for confusion & chaos to occur & tensions to unravel. Venue: Prayogshala, Ahmedabad Organisers: Prayogshala How to Attend: Tickets here Date and Time: (Sunday) 10 March, 2024, 6:00pm Event Name: Book Talk by Sohini Chattopadhyay About the Event: Sohini Chattopadhyay, the author of ‘The Day I Became a Runner: A Women's History of India through the Lens of Sport’ will be in conversation with Tridip Suhrud, Provost, CEPT University. Sohini Chattopadhyay is a journalist, and National-award-winning film critic. Her writing has been commissioned by The New York Times, Guardian, Lancet Psychiatry, South China Morning Post, Hindu, Mint, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and the leading publications of the world. "The Day I Became a Runner" explores the empowering impact of women taking up running as a form of rebellion against patriarchy. Through the stories of eight diverse athletes, spanning the history of independent India, Sohini Chattopadhyay's book serves as a poignant and inspiring women's history, showcasing how these runners broke barriers and reshaped the narrative of women in Indian sports. Venue: CEPT University Organisers: CEPT University How to Attend: Walk in Date and Time: (Monday) 11 March, 2024, 5:30pm
