<h2>Work-life Balance</h2>
<p>A man takes a breather while his companion peels garlic at a shop in Null Bazaar.</p>
<h2>Flutter by in Karjat &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</h2>
<p><img title="A section in the new garden" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-fourteen-dec-b_e.jpg" alt="A section in the new garden" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>A section in the new garden</em></strong></p>
<p>Naturalist Isaac Kehimkar (right) is dealing with a classic case of butterflies in the stomach. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a dream come true,&rdquo; said the &lsquo;Butterfly Man of India&rsquo; referring to his new garden near Karjat&rsquo;s Kothligad. &ldquo;I bought the plot in 2019 with plans to build a holiday home, but as things turned out, we now have a sprawling home for butterflies,&rdquo; Kehimkar revealed. Ahead of a gardening workshop tomorrow, Dr V Shubhalaxmi (below), who joined hands with Kehimkar to build the garden over the period of one year added, &ldquo;We have planted more than 3,000 saplings of areca palm, passion flower, and other species that attract butterflies. The workshop will be a timely lesson for visitors who can plant these saplings in their own homes just in time for the next butterfly season.&rdquo; Those keen to join the gardening workshop can log on to @inaturewatch on Instagram.</p>
<p><img title="Isaac Kehimkar and Dr V Shubhalaxmi" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-fourteen-dec-c_e.jpg" alt="Isaac Kehimkar and Dr V Shubhalaxmi" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Isaac Kehimkar and Dr V Shubhalaxmi</em></strong></p>
<h2>Rest easy, Pempa Khan&nbsp;</h2>
<p><img title="Pempa Khan (centre) in performance. Pic Courtesy/AIIS Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology on Facebook" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-fourteen-dec-d_e.jpg" alt="Pempa Khan (centre) in performance. Pic Courtesy/AIIS Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology on Facebook" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Pempa Khan (centre) in performance. Pic Courtesy/AIIS Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology on Facebook</em></strong></p>
<p>Veteran folk musician Pempa Khan Manganiar breathed his last in his hometown of Hamira in Jaisalmer on Thursday. Widely recognised for his finesse with folk instruments like murali and surnai, the late septuagenarian&rsquo;s music lives on through musicians like Sawai Khan Shama. &ldquo;Collaborating with Pempa Khan on stage was always magical. He embodied a joyful, friendly vibe that helped us ease into the performances. His passing leaves a huge void not only in the heart of Jaisalmer, but the world of folk music, Khan Shama said.</p>
<p><img title="Khan Shama" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-fourteen-dec-e_e.jpg" alt="Khan Shama" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Khan Shama</em></strong></p>
<h2>Mouse wows at the Gateway</h2>
<p><img title="Mickey Mouse gets the clean show going in Colaba" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-fourteen-dec-f_e.jpg" alt="Mickey Mouse gets the clean show going in Colaba" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Mickey Mouse gets the clean show going in Colaba</em></strong></p>
<p>The world&rsquo;s most famous mouse made his debut at Mumbai&rsquo;s landmark Gateway of India recently. Clean Mumbai Foundation, Mumbai First with BMC and Mumbai Police launched a cleanliness awareness campaign at the monument. What put some zing into the exercise, especially for children, was the Mickey Mouse mascot acting as medium for the &lsquo;Keep Gateway Clean&rsquo; message. Kunti Oza, campaign spearhead said, &ldquo;Mickey was carrying a placard. Since he could not talk through the costume, he was accompanied by a volunteer, spreading the message verbally too. The kids loved it. There is a real need for upping awareness amongst children. This was an engaging way to do so.&rdquo; Mickey Mouse had a spokesperson volunteer, who we bet said: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t just keep the Gateway clean; keep it squeaky clean.&rdquo; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<h2>Raj Kapoor&rsquo;s favourite hero</h2>
<p><img title="(Second from left) Raj Kapoor meets (extreme right) Ramdas Padhye " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-fourteen-dec-g_e.jpg" alt="(Second from left) Raj Kapoor meets (extreme right) Ramdas Padhye " width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>(Second from left) Raj Kapoor meets (extreme right) Ramdas Padhye&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p>Among the many well-wishers who will open a treasure trove of their memories with late actor Raj Kapoor on his 100th birth anniversary today, is veteran ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye. &ldquo;In the early 1970s, I performed at the Filmfare Awards where Raj Kapoor was in attendance. To my surprise, the audience broke into applause the moment I took the stage with my puppet Ardhavatrao,&rdquo; Padhye reminisced over a chat with this diarist. A bigger surprise was waiting for Padhye backstage where Kapoor requested his presence. &ldquo;He showered me with praises, and expressed his utter admiration towards Ardhavatrao. Like most young men in the 1970s, I looked up to him. When I asked for a photograph, he replied with an endearing smile on his face, &lsquo;Ek kya, dus photo le lo.&rsquo; I was starstruck,&rdquo; Padhye shared.</p>
<p>Over half a century later, Padhye would be reminded of Kapoor&rsquo;s stardom again. &ldquo;At a show in Russia in 2018, I performed a piece to the song Mera Joota Hai Japani. By the end of it, the audience was singing along. The look on their faces when I pulled out the old photograph with Kapoor was something,&rdquo; Padhye revealed.</p>
<h2>All hail the new king</h2>
<p><img title="D Gukesh in the new illustration" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/dec/dos-fourteen-dec-h_e.jpg" alt="D Gukesh in the new illustration" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>D Gukesh in the new illustration</em></strong></p>
<p>There is a new king on the chess board. Eighteen-year-old D Gukesh&rsquo;s triumph over Chinese GM Ding Liren to become the youngest World Chess Champion became instant inspiration for illustrator Pranjali Anaji Chavan&rsquo;s new creation. &ldquo;The moment Liren made the blunder and the tables turned will be etched in my memory forever. You could see how overwhelmed Gukesh was at that moment. I started sketching right after the win, and put it out as soon as possible,&rdquo; she said.</p><p>
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