Citygritty 8212; Pune

Spit with polish
We8217;re not exactly big on traffic hand-signals. Scooters will suddenly cut their lane, moving from left to right, stationary rickshaws will suddenly do a u-turn, six-seaters will screech to a halt without warning just ahead of you and cars will turn off the road without as much as a by-your-leave. Which is why we were visibly impressed and not a little perplexed when one six-seater driver suddenly stuck his arm out and wiggled his fore and index fingers. We frantically went through the mental checklist of prescribed hand-signals, and came up with zilch. The perplexity stood us in good stead for as we began to fall back, out came a sizzling stream of pan juice. So we8217;re big on spitting in public 8211; at least, here was one who thoughtfully got people out of the way before he did it.

300 years on canvas
The badminton court at B.J. Medical Grounds was set aside for a special purpose during the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa Panth. It held 65 paintings that depicted the lives, sacrifices and teachings of the Sikh gurus. The exhibition has been dominated by the violent conflict that ensued between the Sikhs and the Mughal rulers. It has also pictured the valour and courage of various Sikh leaders. A short write-up at the bottom of each painting explains its context. For those who missed it, these paintings are on permanent view at the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara.

Hollywood and a piano
Songs from Hollywood musicals, The King and I, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music will be heard once more on stage as Pune8217;s young men and women put together a musical show at Gulati Hall on April 18. The songs will come from popular screen and stage musicals. This event is being organised in order to raise funds for repairing the piano of the St. Cecilia8217;s School of Music. This piano is used every year for the Trinity College of Music Exams. Donation passes will be available at the venue the same day.

Shot through the lens
Shoot with a camera not with a gun!8217; Devnath Mukherjee, wildlife conservationist and photographer coined this slogan way back in 1969 and it is only part of the message that he has tried to spread throughout the country. The Delhi-based wildlife enthusiast is in Pune along with his wife Beena on the invitation of the World Wide Fund for Nature WWF for a lecture-cum-slide show before leaving for Melghat on a photo-shoot.

8220;The first time I saw a tiger at close quarters about 10 feet away! was in the Dholpur forests in Rajasthan when I was just eight years old,8221; he says. Ever since, the animal has so fascinated him that he has followed the trail of the tiger by staying in the forests. Mukherjee has been actively involved in the field since 1966 when this trained painter founded the Wildlife Camp to promote nature photography in Delhi. Since then the couple has started a nature study camp called Safariland at Kaladoongi in Nainital and organised various wildlife camps to spread awareness about conservation among not just city dwellers but also in villagers who live near the forest. A tireless crusader for wildlife conservation, Mukherjee has carried on his work on his own steam.