<h2>Bring back the straws!</h2>
<p>A monkey struggles to drink water from a plastic container at Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali</p>
<h2>In the universe&rsquo;s own elements</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/dec/Installation_e.jpg" alt="A prototype of the installation" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>A prototype of the installation</em></strong></p>
<p>Come January 20, the city will witness a mammoth installation by artist Nandita Chaudhuri (inset) that will highlight the need to preserve the environment. This installation, which will be showcased at the upcoming Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, includes 12 sculptures sporting golden wings; the smallest one being five feet in height, while the centrepiece will tower the space at over 15 feet.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/dec/Chaudhari_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;The installation is named Panchbhotam because it will represent the five basic elements namely earth, water, fire, air and space or ether,&rdquo; said Chaudhuri, adding that the reason behind making such a large installation is that she wants the impact and urgency towards climate change to be felt. &ldquo;Art speaks to the common man, and we are all interconnected. The focus needs to be shifted from individual needs to being empathetic to other beings,&rdquo; she shared, further revealing that her upcoming solo exhibition and her new book Unmasked (both set for an April 2024 launch) will speak along the same lines.</p>
<h2>An ode to the OG</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/dec/Tupac_e.jpg" alt="The graffiti at the Marol Art Village with  the artist&rsquo;s signature" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The graffiti at the Marol Art Village with &nbsp;the artist&rsquo;s signature</em></strong></p>
<p>Graffiti artists CodE (inset) and Max have found a new way to memorialise the American rap icon Tupac Shakur. A graffiti at the graffiti lane in Marol Art Village portrays the rapper with his signature red bandana. &ldquo;Graffiti is closely tied with other forms of hip-hop such as rap music and our latest work is a tribute to the one who did it best [Tupac].</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/dec/Code_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Artists paint varied styles of graffiti here, but there isn&rsquo;t one that commemorates a rapper,&rdquo; Mayuresh Kode AKA CodeE shared. The lane has long been frequented not only by graffiti artists who use the walls as their canvas but also performing aristes from around the city who use the montage of vibrant murals as a backdrop for their performance videos. The artists shared that they used a combination of wall paint and spray cans to make the artwork pop out.</p>
<h2>A community that builds together, bonds together</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/dec/Vakhare-Wadi-b_e.jpg" alt="The 400 sq ft crib features static as well as moving elements" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The 400 sq ft crib features static as well as moving elements</em></strong></p>
<p>Go big or go home, the maxim suggests. A community in Vasai has gone big with a crib measuring 400 sq ft, all in their hometown of Vakhare Wadi in Vasai. The crib, a part of the Vakhare Wadi Christmas Festival, displays flower shops, a potter&rsquo;s shop and an open market around the Nativity scene.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/dec/Vakhare-Wadi-a_e.jpg" alt="A section depicts an open market. Pics Courtesy/Hanif Patel" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A section depicts an open market. Pics Courtesy/Hanif Patel</em></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;It was the collective effort of the entire community that made this possible. We have been working in shifts since October. While the kids did most of the clay work, the women helped with the craft work. Members who have full-time jobs took the time out during late nights to contribute to the decoration. It has brought the village closer,&rdquo; Rejoy Ferreira, an organising member shared.</p>
<h2>It&rsquo;s a good year to save lives</h2>
<p>If you&rsquo;re looking for a new skill to pick up as the New Year inches closer, The Bombay City Ambulance Corps might have a novel and noble suggestion. The organisation has opened admissions to their free instructor&rsquo;s course in advanced first aid that will span six months from January to June. To be held at the Jamsetji Tata Ambulance College campus in Marine Lines, the course is open to all, with no age limit, where English will be the language of instruction. &ldquo;The goal of the initiative is to educate citizens about the crucial skill of providing first aid and communicating these skills to other citizens to build a better-prepared population. Many city-dwellers tend to overlook this indispensable skill, but there&rsquo;s no two ways about how important it is,&rdquo; Lieutenant Commander Sunil Kansara informed this diarist. The classes will be conducted twice a week from 6.30 pm to 8.45 pm at the college. Those who wish to sign up can contact 9819498761 before December 31.</p>
<h2>How many spots can you spot?</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/dec/Siddharth-Jain-a_e.jpg" alt="The leopard spotted by the naturalist during a trail in SGNP; (right) Tickell&rsquo;s blue flycatcher" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The leopard spotted by the naturalist during a trail in SGNP; (right) Tickell&rsquo;s blue flycatcher</em></strong></p>
<p>City-based naturalist Siddharth Jain has ticked all boxes off his list of resolutions for 2023, even outdoing his own expectations. Jain started the year with the goal to reach 200 bird sightings. &ldquo;Currently, the count stands at 224, including the 76 species that I spotted this year,&rdquo; he informed this diarist. Travelling across sanctuaries and national parks across the country, the Jogeshwari-based naturalist was able to spot species like the jungle owlet, Tickell&rsquo;s blue flycatcher, golden fronted leafbird, red breasted flycatcher and shikra this year. Jain was in for an early Christmas surprise when he had a chance sighting of a leopard at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) on December 24. &ldquo;I was at the bird count organised by Bombay Natural History Society in collaboration with SGNP at the latter&rsquo;s premises. We smelled a carcass during the trail, and we immediately knew it was a leopard&rsquo;s kill. We walked a bit further, and there it was, looking us in the eye. I&rsquo;ll never forget that moment,&rdquo; he told this diarist.</p>

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Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

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In the universe’s own elements

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