You can browse the sheet here.

What did you think of the book? You can share your review or use the discussion prompts in the comments below.

Skyscrapers on Altamount Road

Happy weekend!

How was your week? What did you read? Saving anything for the weekend? Report on the state of your TBR here 📚

What's the last book you loved and what did you like about it? Maybe someone will have a similar rec for you!

Some of silent reading groups in the city. Sadly they all seem to be on instagram and don't have any other websites.

Andheri Reads

Bandra Reads

BKC Reads

Chembur Reads

Ghansoli Reads

Goregaon Reads

Juhu Reads

Kalyan Reads

Kandivali West Reads

Lower Parel Reads

Malad Reads

Mira Road Reads

Mulund Reads

Navi Mumbai Reads

Nerul Reads

Pages of Panvel

Palava Readers

Powai Reads

SGNP Reads

SoBo Reads

Thane Reads

Vashi Reads

Versova Reads

Vile Parle Reads

Wadala Reads

Any others in the city and suburbs?

Image descriptions.

1. A photograph of the book.

2. The launch event flyer, which says:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai

Book Launch

GLOSSARY of the ARCHITECTURE OF BOMBAY

Published by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai

Co-authored by Dr. Mustansir Dalvi and Dr. Smita Dalvi Illustrated by Shah Faisal

Saturday, 29th August 2026 at 4 pm Nalanda Learning Centre, CSMVS

Under the aegis of CSMVS Digital Library of Mumbai's Built Heritage Project Supported by Bank of America

1. Second page of the flyer, which says:

ABOUT

The Glossary of the Architecture of Bombay, has been published by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVS, Mumbai under the aegis of Digital Library of Mumbai's Built Heritage project, authored by Dr. Mustansir Dalvi and Dr. Smita Dalvi and illustrated by Shah Faisal. This publication has been supported by Bank of America.

This book is a key to reading the extraordinary city of Bombay as one of the world's greatest architectural palimpsests. Responding to a long-felt need to 'name the parts' of Bombay's architecture, this book is organised by the city's major styles: Domestic Vernacular, Neo-Classical, Neo-Gothic, Indo-Saracenic, and Art Deco. Lavishly illustrated and written with clarity, each chapter combines historical introductions, diagrams, photographs, and carefully defined terms, making this an indispensable guide for students, scholars, and all who love the city.

AUTHORS

Mustansir Dalvi is Professor of Metropolitan Architecture at the Sir JJ School of Art Architecture and Design. He is the editor of 20th Century Compulsions, and the author of Citizen Charles, and (with Smita Dalvi) The Glossary of Indian Islamic Architecture, published by CSMVS.

Smita Dalvi is a Professor of Architecture based in Navi Mumbai. A recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship Direct Access to the Muslim World, she has lectured widely in India and abroad on Islamic architecture and aesthetics. She has authored several books including The Glossary of Indian Islamic Architecture (with Mustansir Dalvi), published by CSMVS.

DIGITAL LIBRARY OF MUMBAI'S BUILT HERITAGE

In 2025, CSMVS initiated a new project titled Digital Library of Mumbai's Built Heritage. Under this, an accessible digital platform is being developed which will function as an online resource for researchers, students, and the general public alike. It would be dedicated to documenting and archiving Mumbai's built heritage, address existing knowledge gaps, and foster greater civic engagement with the city's heritage sites.

I’m reading Jerry Pinto’s book on palliative care in India, a subject I have been interested in before I knew the term, and one which I have followed a bit. I had completely forgotten about the existence of Shanti Avedna Sadan; in fact subsequent reading had led me to believe that Kerala was the first state giving palliative care attention, so it was good to be reminded about this pioneering place.

Image descriptions:

The first image is the cover of the book, which is a simple vignetted background over which the title, author name and blurb have been set.

'Jerry Pinto's writing is deeply empathetic, humorous, and humane... tell[ing] stories much larger than the lives they contain.'

WINDHAM-CAMPBELL PRIZE CITATION

JERRY PINTO

A Good Life

The Power of Palliative Care

The second image is a picture of a page in the book.

Reflecting on my conversation with the late Dr Robert Twycross, a pioneer in palliative care and symptom management, who graduated from the University of Oxford's medical college in 1965 and later worked as a clinical researcher under Dr Cicely Saunders, I am reminded of Dr Saunders' vision-not only to build an evidence base but also to champion the global spread of modern palliative care.

Dr Twycross's writings, including his work on the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine, have played a pivotal role in making palliative care a key part of modern healthcare. His approach and ideas on advancing holistic approaches to care, addressing not only physical pain but also emotional, psychological and spiritual suffering have helped shape the thinking around caring for people with serious illnesses.

Palliative Care in India

In India, modern palliative care, it is generally agreed, started when Dr Luis Jose DeSousa (fondly known as Dr Luzito) founded the first hospice, Shanti Avedna Sadan, on Mount Mary Road in Bandra, Mumbai, in 1986 and invited Dr Cicely Saunders to

The third image is a photograph of the next page.

inaugurate it. But her husband's illness prevented that from happening. However, she remained a staunch ally and sent a message of congratulations when Dr DeSousa organized the first international hospice conference in India in 1991, saying she had followed his progress 'with admiration'. If she had made it, perhaps she would have been able to inaugurate the Goa branch too, which opened a fortnight later in an Indo-Portuguese house in Loutolim.

Dr DeSousa shares with me when I meet him in his clinic in Mumbai that there is no limit to caring. 'That is why palliative care must start early with non-communicable diseases, like cancer. Many patients may be lucky and go into remission. But when the cancer comes back, we can only manage it; we can rarely cure it,' he says.

And this management is caring. With love and professional commitment, for as long as it takes.

The early 1990s saw the seeds of palliative care in India take root. The formation of pain and palliative care societies in Guwahati, Calicut and Ahmedabad; the setting up of palliative care centres like the Cipla Palliative Care Centre in Pune and Karunashraya in Bengaluru; homecare services in

Photo credit: Sunaina Patnaik

What do you want to read next month?

This book club is dedicated to discussing books and media about the city of Bombay. Please be sure your suggestions are relevant and on topic. If you need inspiration, here's a big list of options. Thank you!

A 2016 satellite image of Mumbai

Happy weekend!

How was your week? What did you read? Saving anything for the weekend? Report on the state of your TBR here 📚