<h2>Seated by nature</h2>
<p>A man rests on a conveniently shaped tree trunk as he scrolls through his phone at the signal near the Ambassador Hotel in Nariman Point</p>
<h2>Dance for a cause</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Old-Women_e.jpg" alt="Salome Roy Kapur explains a dance move during a session" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Salome Roy Kapur explains a dance move during a session</em></strong></p>
<p>Worli-based art gallery Art &amp; Soul will expand its horizons as it introduces dance workshops &mdash; Joy of Dance with Salome Roy Kapur &mdash; across the four Wednesdays of April. These sessions will raise funds to support NGO Passages&rsquo; breast cancer medicine bank. &ldquo;As a breast cancer survivor, I host workshops with our NGO to spread awareness. This time, we invited Salome to host a dance workshop that supports the cause, and have extended the initiative to the gallery,&rdquo; shared gallery director Tarana Khubchandani. The aim, she added, was not to force the message home, &ldquo;Rather, we want to use subtle measures to urge women to get their check-ups done. We believe that early detection is the best cure.&rdquo; Kapur, who was more than willing to lend a hand, shared that she will teach merengue, salsa, two line-dances and samba. &ldquo;I wish to spread the joy of movement and music,&rdquo; the 73-year-old, an iconic dance tutor and actress, told this diarist. Head to @galleryartandsoul for more details on the workshop.</p>
<h2>Power to India</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Niyati-Rao_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Chef Niyati Rao (inset) has been serving up some surprises for international foodies. At the recent event hosted by the 50 Best Restaurants on March 25, Rao was invited to speak on the blueprint of India as the next &lsquo;culinary superpower&rsquo;. &ldquo;The talk was about how the country is evolving in terms of culinary styles and tastes, and how young Indians are pushing the boundaries and asking questions. In order to do so, we also need to look into the past and collect data that our ancestors have left for us. This data offers solutions when it comes to techniques, and reasons for our culinary heritage,&rdquo; she remarked. It certainly left an impact as Rao revealed that many in the audience shared they were misinformed about Indian cuisine and would like to visit the country to know more.</p>
<h2>Gecko gets a starry, starry canvas</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Van-Gogh-gecko_e.jpg" alt="Patil&rsquo;s illustration of the Cnemaspis vangoghi. Pic Courtesy/Instagram" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Patil&rsquo;s illustration of the Cnemaspis vangoghi. Pic Courtesy/Instagram</em></strong></p>
<p>While artists often turn to nature for inspiration, occasionally, mother nature returns the favour. The discovery of the Cnemaspis vangoghi last week by wildlife researchers Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray and Ishan Agarwal was one such moment. Found in the Megamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, the dwarf gecko has a unique skin pattern that mimics the famed canvas work of Vincent van Gogh&rsquo;s The Starry Night. To commemorate the artist&rsquo;s birth anniversary on March 30, marine biologist Gaurav Patil (inset) illustrated this unique creature as a reminder that even nature has a soft spot for the Dutch painter.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Gaurav-Patil_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;I follow Khandekar and the others, and their discovery really intrigued me. I couldn&rsquo;t help but be drawn to it,&rdquo; shared Patil. Describing the name as one of the unique factors, he said, &ldquo;We do not have many species named after artists. Usually, taxonomists and researchers choose a name as a tribute to a fellow scientist in the field, the location or region of the species or a defining physical characteristic. While this name is based on a physical characteristic too, it was quite creatively used by them. It also felt like the perfect tribute ahead of Van Gogh&rsquo;s birth anniversary,&rdquo; he noted.</p>
<h2>By the locals, for the locals</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Sanctuary-2_e.jpg" alt="The villagers worship the deity Waghoba at the opening" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>The villagers worship the deity Waghoba at the opening</em></strong></p>
<p>While the green lungs around Mumbai are under threat, there is one little patch that is thriving. Led by the resident Pardhi family and Waghoba Foundation, an 8.5-acre patch of forest named Tata chi Vanrai in Chinchwadi village near Karjat is now a local conservation project.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Thakur-Valsan_e.jpg" alt="Daulat Pardhi and Sanjiv Valsan" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Daulat Pardhi and Sanjiv Valsan</em></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;This is a locally led project by the family, whose elder, the late Vithal Janu Ambo Pardhi AKA Tata, decided to protect it,&rdquo; shared founder Sanjiv Valsan. Daulat Pardhi, local community member, shared, &ldquo;The forest has trees of mango, mahua, and jamun that are over 50 years old. It is also home to some rare vegetables like kandmool that are slowly vanishing. We have always worshipped nature, and it will be a sad thing if we lost these jungles now,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<h2>Pickleball push in SoBo</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Pickleball_e.jpg" alt="Members participate in a game at the new court in Marine Lines" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Members participate in a game at the new court in Marine Lines</em></strong></p>
<p>Over the last year, the city has seen the growth of close to 100 new courts for pickleball. The All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) opened the newest facility at the Catholic Gymkhana at Marine Lines on March 28. &ldquo;Most of the clubs that operate out of South Mumbai are members-only clubs and not open to all. We have our presence in such clubs, but were looking for an open public court.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/mar/Arvind-Prabhoo_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>When we approached Catholic Gymkhana with the idea of it being the first open court for the game in South Mumbai, the trustees deliberated on this request and unanimously came to the decision to allow open play to the citizens,&rdquo; shared AIPA chairman, Arvind Prabhoo (below). With numbers on the rise, Prabhoo revealed that the association is also approaching schools and universities across the city to spread the word about pickleball.</p>

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Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

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