<h2>One last swing</h2>
<p>A bus passes by the eerie figure of a witch on a swing near Badhwar Park in Cuffe Parade. Created by residents of the Machhimar Nagar, the effigy symbolises the sorrows of the past year that will be burned on December 31.</p>
<h2>A royal shade of green</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/Lady-Diana-a_e.jpg" alt="Lady Diana Spencer, former Princess of Wales. Pic Courtesy/Getty Images" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Lady Diana Spencer, former Princess of Wales. Pic Courtesy/Getty Images</em></strong></p>
<p>Parel-based 16-year-old ecopreneur Angad Tathgir (inset) has a new jewel in his crown. For his novel take on e-waste recycling through his venture EcoBinRecycle, the teenager has been awarded the Diana Award 2024, an award launched in 1999 by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown in memory of the late Princess of Wales, Diana. The annual awards recognise young voices across the world who are driving positive change in their own ways.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/Angad-Tathgir-a_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a reminder of the power of collective action and a validation of the work I am passionate about. Winning the prestigious award has inspired me to keep pushing boundaries in addressing the growing e-waste challenge and working toward a more sustainable future,&rdquo; Tathgir told this diarist following the win last week. As for what 2025 holds for him, the teenager revealed that he will soon integrate his work with the BMC and take the initiative to other cities across India, tailoring it to local needs.</p>
<h2>Rollercoaster ride at the MCG</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/MCG-a_e.jpg" alt="Members of the North Stand Gang at the MCG in Melbourne " width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Members of the North Stand Gang at the MCG in Melbourne</em></strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The fourth Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy might still be in the balance, but there are enough Indian voices trying to force the issue. &ldquo;For the first two days, we had very little to cheer about till [Yashaswi] Jaiswal and [Virat] Kohli put together a stand,&rdquo; shared the Andheri resident. Mahale, along with Wankhede&rsquo;s famous North Stand Gang has been among the loud Indian supporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/Rushabh-Mahale_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;We are an Indian contingent sitting on the far side, and have a small Australian crowd among us. For the last two days, they have been fierce and loud. But with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar&rsquo;s stand, we had a chance to raise our voices and banter with them,&rdquo; shared Mahale (below) at the end of the third day&rsquo;s play. While a maiden century by Reddy in this tough match might have caught the eye of the experts, the Indian fans were overjoyed by something else. &ldquo;If I am honest, the loudest cheers went up when [Mohammed] Siraj defended the last ball. If there had been a roof at the MCG, it would have blown off,&rdquo; the 26-year-old shared.</p>
<h2>Mumbai to Paris via Bahrain</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/Graffiti-Airoli-wall_e.jpg" alt="Artists work on the stretch of the wall in Airoli" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Artists work on the stretch of the wall in Airoli</em></strong></p>
<p>If you are travelling along the stretch of road by Sector 5 in Airoli, there are some new visuals to add colour to your commute. Graffiti artist Raj Pathare AKA Mooz was among eight artists who visited the neighbourhood on Friday to create a new series of murals to brighten up the walls behind the Zenith International School.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/Graffiti-Airoli_e.jpg" alt="A creation by Pathare and Ayfu" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A creation by Pathare and Ayfu</em></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;We are always on the lookout for something new. It so happened that a few artists from France and Bahrain were in town, and wanted to collaborate,&rdquo; shared Pathare. The international names include Bahraini artists Svon and Ayfu, who were in Mumbai alongside Paris-based creators Yellow and 2flui. The quartet decided to team up with the local talent. &ldquo;It is a tradition among street artists to leave a signature when you visit a new place. We were joined by Dkrypt, Alchemy, Carter, and Veda from Mumbai to work on the mural series. It took us four hours to finish the almost 100-metre long wall,&rdquo; he concluded.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>A maestro returns to Dharavi</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/Parai-performance_e.jpg" alt="Members of the parai troupe from the Jai Bhim Foundation" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Members of the parai troupe from the Jai Bhim Foundation</em></strong></p>
<p>A third-generation Mumbai-based Tamilian, researcher Pooja Ashokkumar grew up with Ilaiyaraaja&rsquo;s songs during major celebrations in Dharavi. &ldquo;Many of my friends, and neighbours, as well as my parents shared this love for his music. In fact, my grandmother was a neighbour of his sister, and cooked for him when he had visited Jari Mari back in the 1970s,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/Ilaiyaraaja-a_e.jpg" alt="Ilaiyaraaja" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Ilaiyaraaja</em></strong></p>
<p>Ashokkumar sought to tap into this collective experience by hosting a session at the Savitribai Phule auditorium in Kumbharwada, Dharavi. &ldquo;He was among the first to use karagattam (a Tamil folk form), and parai (a traditional percussion instrument) &mdash; used mainly by the marginalised communities &mdash; in the mainstream,&rdquo; she said. Executed by the Jai Bhim Foundation, the event saw fans gather to sing and share memories of their favourite Ilaiyaraaja tracks. &ldquo;We had a surprisingly good response for a first-time event, but we plan to make this an ongoing practice in the near future,&rdquo; she said.</p><p>
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Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

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