<h2>Paws on the way</h2>
<p>Out on a casual stroll with his friend at Andheri, this boy gets a cat on his back.</p>
<h2>1971&hellip; a trophy story&nbsp;</h2>
<p><img title="India skipper Ajit Wadekar (left) receives the 1970-71 series-winning trophy from Sir Errol Dos Santos, President of Queen&rsquo;s Park Cricket Club at a cocktail party for members of the West Indian and Indian teams in Trinidad. WI captain Garry Sobers is in the centre. Pic/Courtesy Trinidad Cricket Council Yearbook 1971" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/dos-twenty-six-jan-f_e.jpg" alt="India skipper Ajit Wadekar (left) receives the 1970-71 series-winning trophy from Sir Errol Dos Santos, President of Queen&rsquo;s Park Cricket Club at a cocktail party for members of the West Indian and Indian teams in Trinidad. WI captain Garry Sobers is in the centre. Pic/Courtesy Trinidad Cricket Council Yearbook 1971" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>India skipper Ajit Wadekar (left) receives the 1970-71 series-winning trophy from Sir Errol Dos Santos, President of Queen&rsquo;s Park Cricket Club at a cocktail party for members of the West Indian and Indian teams in Trinidad. WI captain Garry Sobers is in the centre. Pic/Courtesy Trinidad Cricket Council Yearbook 1971</em></strong></p>
<p>Earlier this week, our in-house cricket nut was presented a rare publication, the Trinidad Cricket Council Yearbook 1971. The year resonates with most cricket fans as it was in 1971 when India beat the West Indies on their shores. The 1-0 series win included a maiden Test match victory (home or away) over the men from the Caribbean.</p>
<p>The annual carried a picture of then India skipper Ajit Wadekar receiving a trophy; the caption referring to it as the Cricket Club of India Trophy. Curiosity took over and our man turned to X to check if anyone knew about this silverware. As it turned out, two hardcore cricket enthusiasts &mdash; Keshav Sunkara and Marcus60s70s80 &mdash; found it similar to the Anthony De Mello Trophy with the top portion missing. The De Mello Trophy was essentially for India v England Test series hosted on these shores, but it was given out to winning captains of other series hosted by India too. Bishan Singh Bedi received it for India&rsquo;s series win over NZ in 1976-77 and Imran Khan accepted it after Pakistan beat India in 1986-87.</p>
<p>Our in-house cricket nut has found his answer so won&rsquo;t head to CCI at Churchgate to hunt for this trophy. But he wants to know how this trophy was taken to the&nbsp;<br />West Indies.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Giving seekhs and makhnis a break</h2>
<p><img title="Loya at the Taj" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/dos-twenty-six-jan-d_e.jpg" alt="Loya at the Taj" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Loya at the Taj</em></strong></p>
<p>For the first time in 20 years, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, is launching a new restaurant (the last was the Japanese cult Wasabi by Morimoto in 2004). Loya, a name that means &ldquo;gathering for a feast&rdquo;, inspired by the tribal dialect of the Bakarwal shepherds is a restaurant that celebrates the expansive heritage of North Indian gastronomy, stepping beyond the familiar confines of Delhi, Punjab, and Kashmir.</p>
<p>In April 2024, the iconic Masala Kraft&mdash;an institution in the city&rsquo;s culinary scene&mdash;bid farewell, paving the way for fresh gastronomic adventures. Sunday midday got an exclusive first look at Loya, which is set to open in two weeks. The interiors echo the grandeur of the northern subcontinent, with sweeping arches, intricate stone jalis, and earthy textures. Inspired by Himalayan springs, the bar courtyard features natural rocks, a waterfall, and logwood furniture accented with copper&mdash;an ode to the region&rsquo;s rugged beauty.</p>
<p><img title="Chef Rajesh Wadhwa" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/dos-twenty-six-jan-e_e.jpg" alt="Chef Rajesh Wadhwa" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Chef Rajesh Wadhwa</em></strong></p>
<p>At the helm is Chef Rajesh Wadhwa, a stalwart of Indian cuisine with nearly four decades of experience at the Taj Hotels. Speaking about Loya&rsquo;s ethos, he shares, &ldquo;The idea was to spotlight hidden&mdash;not lost&mdash;treasures of Indian cuisine. When we launched the first Loya in Delhi three years ago, kebabs and makhnis were intentionally off the table. For Mumbai, we spent seven to eight months refining the philosophy further. We even sent our chef on an eight-day backpacking journey to the hills to uncover dishes from dhabas, homes, and restaurants. This exploration brought us recipes like Kangra khodiya gosht and Timbri jheenga, and unique ingredients such as hemp seeds, jhakhia, tingri, and the technique of roasting walnuts with kernels for mutton curry amongst others. Even after 40 years in the industry, I feel we&rsquo;ve only scratched the surface with this menu.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The serveware and table settings showcased India&rsquo;s artisan heritage where every piece tells a story&mdash;from Muradabad&rsquo;s handcrafted metal cutlery to Khurja&rsquo;s ceramics and Amritsar&rsquo;s intricately carved petal glasses. The show plates&mdash;designed as chaandi paraat&mdash;symbolise the full life cycle of food.</p>
<p>With Loya, fine dining takes on a new dimension, taking us on an unforgettable journey across the Himalayas, Punjab, and Kashmir culinary landscapes. Will this then redefine Mumbai&rsquo;s culinary scene? We think, yes!</p>
<h2>&lsquo;Big shoes to fill&rsquo; for new Archbishop</h2>
<p><img title="Archbishop John Rodrigues" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/dos-twenty-six-jan-g_e.jpg" alt="Archbishop John Rodrigues" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Archbishop John Rodrigues</em></strong></p>
<p>His Holiness Pope Francis has officially accepted the resignation of His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias, 80, the Archbishop of Bombay. Originally submitted five years ago, Cardinal Gracias&rsquo; resignation was recently reaffirmed and received final approval on Saturday evening in Rome.</p>
<p>Following this, Bishop John Rodrigues, who was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bombay on November 30 last year, now formally assumes office as the Archbishop of Bombay. Cardinal Gracias expressed heartfelt gratitude to all his collaborators in the Archdiocese. Archbishop John Rodrigues said, &ldquo;Cardinal Oswald Gracias is a giant of a man, and now as his successor, I have mighty big shoes to fill.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Quite a &lsquo;trip&rsquo; for Mr Fadnavis</h2>
<p><img title="Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Davos. Pic/Twitter" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/dos-twenty-six-jan-h_e.jpg" alt="Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Davos. Pic/Twitter" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Davos. Pic/Twitter</em></strong></p>
<p>Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis posted a few images of himself strolling down a spick-and-span sidewalk while at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland), on X. Mumbaikars had streetwise reactions, literally. One social media commentator said, &ldquo;Encroachments, broken patches, uneven surfaces, dog poop; if Fadnavis walks here, it will be Davos-stating!&rdquo; Yet others quipped that on Mumbai&rsquo;s pavements the CM would be Devendra &ldquo;Fall-navis&rdquo; and &ldquo;Thud-navis&rdquo;. We&rsquo;re simply tripping (pun intended) over the wisecracks.</p><p>
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Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

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