Shiv Sena (UBT) is trying to corner other Shiv Sena factions over creation of Vidarbha state. Recently, a senior BJP leader had reiterated that the party would continue to stand by its promise of securing statehood, a stand that the undivided Shiv Sena had vehemently opposed. Taking a cue from the BJP leader’s statement, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, said in Nagpur on Friday: “What is the stand of those [a reference to Eknath Shinde and his party] sitting next to the CM?” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hails from Nagpur and has always supported statehood. Thackeray’s move is seen as an attempt to corner the Shinde Sena. “Supporting Vidarbha would mean taking a stand opposite to that of Balasaheb, one that Shinde will not endorse. On the other hand, opposing the move would be another difference among the ruling allies. Any stand Shinde takes will create a stir in political circles,” said a Sena (UBT) leader. In 1960, Maharashtra was formally declared a separate state, with Mumbai as its capital. Vidarbha comprises 11 districts across two revenue divisions (Nagpur and Amravati). For years, locals have been demanding a separate state, arguing that it would lead to better governance and help address the developmental backlog. The move was always supported by the BJP and opposed by its ally partner, the undivided Shiv Sena. Thackeray said that Sena (UBT) would oppose any move to bifurcate Maharashtra to create another state. 1960Year Maharashtra was formally declared a state
13 December,2025 09:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev ShivadekarA male adult leopard that had been roaming inside the highly sensitive Pune Airport premises for nearly eight months was tranquilised and captured on Thursday. The rescue involved a 30-member joint team from the Pune Forest Department, RESQ Charitable Trust, the Indian Air Force, and Pune Airport Authorities. The leopard’s presence was first confirmed on April 28. Since then, officials tracked its movement across underground service tunnels, dense vegetation patches, and low-footfall areas within the airport — terrains that made locating and capturing the big cat extremely difficult. On December 4, monitoring teams confirmed that the leopard had entered the airport’s underground tunnel network. ILLUSTRATIONS/UDAY MOHITE Officials confirmed that no injuries occurred during the operation, and airport functioning remained uninterrupted. The Pune Forest Department will now decide on the leopard’s long-term management as per protocol. Authorities sealed most tunnel exit points, strengthened barriers and repositioned cameras to map its movement in real time. A strategic final capture plan was put into action on Thursday, and the team guided the leopard into tunnel — a controlled space chemical immobilisation Despite deploying camera traps, live surveillance systems and trap cages, the leopard had been evading capture and continued to navigate restricted zones since its presence was first reported on April 28 this year. Inside the cramped, low-visibility 80-foot-long tunnel, wildlife veterinarian Dr Gourav Mangla successfully darted the animal. Dr Mangla asserted that success was possible only because every team member stayed calm and followed the plan exactly Voices Dr Gourav Mangla, wildlife veterinarian who darted elusive leopard‘The operation demanded precision, patience and quick reassessment. The leopard had damaged two live cameras. I had to take a clean shot from a very difficult angle inside a confined tunnel’ The leopard was extracted and transported to the Transit Treatment Centre in Bavdhan, where it is recovering well and remains under supervision. The capture underscores the importance of planned, evidence-based wildlife operations in complex urban ecosystems Mahadev Mohite, deputy conservator of forests, Pune Division‘This operation demonstrates strong preparedness and seamless cooperation between the Forest Department, RESQ, the Air Force, and airport authorities. Pune has shown it is capable of handling complex wildlife situations even in highly sensitive urban infrastructure.’ Neha Panchamiya, founder-president, RESQ‘Every wildlife capture is different. Decisions must be driven by strategy and context, not urgency. This rescue proves that data, technology and teamwork can ensure both human safety and wildlife welfare.’
13 December,2025 09:15 AM IST | Pune | Archana DahiwalA late-night copper wire theft in South Mumbai escalated into a violent confrontation after three men allegedly threatened a watchman with knives when he attempted to stop them, police said on Thursday. The accused were arrested from the Wadi Bunder-Dongri belt, while police suspect the involvement of others and have launched a search for the rest of the gang. The incident took place on Tuesday near Manohar bar at Wadi Bunder, where the replacement of old telephone and power cables is underway along the northern carriageway of P D’Mello Road. The complainant, Manikandan Pitchemani Nadar, 36, a supervisor associated with the cable replacement work and a resident of Goregaon East, told police that the accused arrived at the site late at night carrying cutters. The trio was pulling out old telephone and power cables when confronted by watchman Venkatesh Giri on the night of December 9 When watchman Venkatesh Giri, who had been deployed to guard the site, noticed the theft and tried to intervene, the accused allegedly brandished their weapons and restrained him before fleeing with around 23 metres of copper wire, valued at approximately Rs 70,000. The stolen material has not yet been recovered. Based on the complaint, police registered a case of robbery and, under the guidance of DCP (Zone I) Dr Pravin Mundhe, arrested Laxman Hanumant Pawar, 48; Bhima Hanumant Pawar, 39; and Kanya Ganesh Chavan, 22, all residents of the Wadi Bunder footpath area in Dongri. They reportedly are lemon-and-chilli vendors. The arrests were made on December 12 with the help of the police detection staff. Five other suspects — identified as Julie, Ibo, Hasin and Ajay, along with several unidentified men — are absconding. Police believe the gang has been involved in similar thefts.
13 December,2025 09:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Anish PatilHours after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed the legislature about a new framework for the redevelopment of buildings operating under the pagadi system, part of a slab collapsed on the second floor of Kotak Bhavan, a dilapidated pagadi building in Masjid Bunder, killing one and severely injuring two, on Thursday night. While the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) had declared 935 buildings dilapidated in this year’s pre-monsoon audit, Pagadi Ekta Sangh President, Mukesh Shah, said, “Thousands of buildings in the city have not been audited by any authority. If these structures aren’t audited, how can anyone declare what condition they are in?” According to the data available, eight deaths and 33 major injuries occurred due to full or partial collapses of these buildings from 2021 to August 2025. The building Kotak Bhavan, known as Sterling House after its ownership changed a year ago, hasn’t been audited in 33 years. Vitthal Borade, a building resident, said, “Our building is more than 60 years old. The last time our building was repaired was in 1992, when the then-owner changed all wooden poles and pillars to iron beams.” Key points from Eknath Shinde’s speech 1 Three types of FSI will be given: Tenants must get FSI proportionate to their current area; landlords must get FSI proportionate to their land ownership FSI; incentive FSI will be given to redevelop these buildings 2 If any of these three types of FSI cannot be used or all three types cannot be utilised to their maximum use, FSI will be provided in the form of TDR 3 Proper implementation of Rent Control Act, which is applicable to tenants of pagadi buildings, is necessary as the agreements of these tenants are legally valid under this Act 4 The number of cases between landlords and tenants being heard is 28,000 5 Thus, a fast-track court will be set up to solve these matters within the next three years 6 13,000 pagadi buildings are awaiting redevelopment The pagadi system This is a traditional rental housing system where the tenants are partial owners of the house. Under this system, tenants pay a large one-time premium, known as pagadi, to landlords at the time of entry. In return, tenants receive near-permanent occupancy rights. Monthly rents remain extremely low and have often stayed unchanged for decades. The mishap Santosh Kumar Yadav, who took the victims of the collapse to JJ Hospital, said, “Mukesh Dendore, who runs a tea stall, was washing cups while two customers, Shafiq Islam and Shaliram Jaiswal, were sitting on a bench drinking tea when a cement slab fell on them. Other locals and I removed the debris, put the victims on handcarts, and took them to the main road, from where we took them to JJ Hospital ourselves. Unfortunately, Mukesh was declared ‘brought dead’.” Islam, meanwhile, was diagnosed with a broken spine, while Jaiswal lost two toes. Hurdles in redeveloping pagadi buildings Chandrashekhar Prabhu, a housing expert, said, “Provisions in the Rent Control Act fuel ongoing disputes between landlords and tenants. An amendment to the Act permits landlords to evict tenants if they need the premises for their personal use. Taking advantage of this, builders are showing that all their partners and their extended families require the premises for their personal use. Most documents submitted are forged or bogus. Yet lakhs of tenants have been evicted. The government is doing nothing.” “The bigger problem is corruption among all authorities. There is a nexus between builders, politicians, and bureaucrats which wants to evict tenants. Also, when authorities say that the redevelopment of these buildings requires huge funds, the first question is why were they buildings not repaired regularly despite collecting cess from the tenants for this very purpose?” Prabhu further alleged that MHADA wanted to hand over prime portions of South Mumbai’s cessed buildings to builders by evicting tenants. “The practical solution is the correct amendment of Rent Control Act with a view to protecting tenants and honest implementation without corruption,” he said. Pagadi tenants’ activist Jeetendra Ghadge’s analysis “This move will certainly benefit thousands of small buildings and those affected by road-widening projects. But, the government must ensure that tenants are rehabilitated in the same locality and that a minimum guaranteed incentive FSI is provided. Regarding the proposal for fast-track courts, the real focus should be on amending the Rent Act so that disputes between landlords and tenants do not end up in litigation. Most importantly, the government must prioritise redevelopment. Once a pagadi building is redeveloped, it becomes a cooperative society — a transition that will naturally phase out the pagadi system from Mumbai.”
13 December,2025 09:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika GondhalekarA routine night trail near Kumbhargaon-Bhigwan in Pune district turned into an exceptional discovery for three Mumbai birders, who stumbled upon a rarely documented Sykes’s Nightjar — a species known for its elusive behaviour and low detectability in Maharashtra. Wildlife photographer Karan Solanki, along with birders Shantanu Majumdar and Siddharth Jain, was scanning a rocky plateau for the elusive reptile, Leopard Gecko, last week, when the sighting happened. While Karan and Siddharth checked one side of the plateau, Shantanu surveyed the opposite end. “A few minutes later, Shantanu spotted a Nightjar sitting quietly in a small patch of grass,” said Solanki. “When we joined him, he confirmed it was a rare Sykes’s Nightjar. Since our cameras were in the car near the main road, all three of us quickly clicked a record shot on our phones.” Shantanu sprinted back to fetch the gear, and the trio returned to properly document the bird before leaving it undisturbed. Solanki added, “Although this location falls within its wintering range, Sykes’s Nightjar is rarely documented this far south in Maharashtra. It can be distinguished from the similar-looking Savanna Nightjar by the absence of a scapular stripe, more intricate plumage, lighter colour and smaller, compact size.” Did you know? Wildlife enthusiast Akshay Shinde had spotted the Sykes’s Nightjar at Bhandup pumping station in January 2019, marking the first confirmed sighting in Mumbai after 104 years The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) collection has a specimen of the species that was collected in October 1915 from the Kalyan region, after which the bird was not recorded in Mumbai until 2019 The species — also known as Sindh Nightjar — is commonly found in Gujarat and Rajasthan and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List Sykes’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus mahrattensis) is a summer visitor to south-west Afghanistan, mostly resident in Pakistan’s Indus Valley, and disperses widely into western India during winter Despite not being globally threatened, the Sykes’s Nightjar is barely seen in India outside Gujarat and Rajasthan. July 2025: An unfit Sykes’s Nightjar was rescued in Mumbai and released back into the wild after recovery — a case that surprised the city’s birding community. Nightjars seen in Mumbai >> Jungle Nightjar>> Jerdon’s Nightjar>> Indian Nightjar>> Savanna Nightjar>> Subsequent sightings>> A rescue near Mumbai Airport (2025)>> A confirmed sighting from Manori (Nov 2025)>> According to eBird, most records remain concentrated in northwestern Maharashtra, with only one prior record in Pune Hard to spot The species is a migratory winter visitor. Unlike the more common Indian Nightjar, Sykes’s Nightjar is not vocal while migrating, making detection difficult. Its exceptional camouflage allows it to disappear into its habitat. Recent sightings, such as the one in Bhigwan, are shedding new light on the movements of this species in India The name Colonel William Henry Sykes, FRS (25 January 1790 – 16 June 1872) was an English naturalist who served with the British military in India and was specifically known for his work with the Indian Army as a politician, Indologist and ornithologist. He documented and described numerous bird species from the Deccan region in the 1830s, and the bird is named after him.
13 December,2025 09:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavA 2.5-foot marsh crocodile was rescued from a Kurla pond on December 12, nearly 25 days after forest officials first began efforts to track and capture it. The rescue comes just days after mid-day reported increasing concerns over unusual wildlife sightings in the locality. Thane forest officials, along with NGO (Spreading Awareness on Reptiles and Rehabilitation Programe) SARRP India, carried out the operation, which required round-the-clock monitoring of the water body. “As marsh crocodiles can stay submerged for long periods, tracking it was challenging. Our team worked in day-and-night shifts to ensure we didn’t lose sight of it,” said Asif Patrawala of SARRP India. Rescue attempts began on November 19, and the animal was finally secured alive on Friday, bringing relief to residents living around the densely populated lake. The operation was conducted under the supervision of Deputy Conservator of Forests Sachin Repal, Assistant Conservator of Forests Sonal Valvi, and Range Forest Officer Santosh Dagale. The Kurla range team — including Forester Janardan Bodekar and Forest Guards Vikram Pawar, Jyoti Bhosale, and Bhise Dada — handled ground operations and crowd control. SARRP India members Santosh Shinde, Asif Patrawala, Shubham Kadam, Shubham Gupta, Sheldon D’Souza, Mihir Jadhav, Pooja Shah, Ashuli Chemburkar, and Rohit Kattimani assisted in the rescue. After its capture, the crocodile underwent a preliminary medical check-up by Dr Deepa Katyal in Chembur. It is now being shifted to the Wildlife hospital, SGNP, for further examination before being released into its natural habitat.
13 December,2025 08:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavResidents of Motilal Nagar in Goregaon West are living in fear after a stray dog allegedly bit multiple people over the past few days. Locals say the brown dog attacks without barking or giving any warning, often jumping on people and biting them on the face, chest, back or shoulder. The BMC has begun efforts to capture the animal. According to residents, the dog has been roaming in the locality for the last three to four days and has already injured several people. Laleshwar Dubey, a security guard at Pancham Society, said, “I was on duty when the dog suddenly attacked me. It bit me on my shoulder. It’s extremely aggressive. This isn’t a society dog. It has been roaming around for days, and many people have been bitten. Everyone is scared to even walk through the area.” CCTV footage of the dog suddenly leaping at the security guard College student Supriya Sharma said she was attacked on Thursday around 10 pm. “I was going home when the dog suddenly jumped at me and bit my left shoulder. At the trauma care hospital, I saw more than 25 other victims waiting for injections. This dog has bitten so many people.” Resident Kiran Kushalkar said both she and her mother were attacked. “On December 10, I was leaving for work when the dog jumped at me and bit my chest. The next morning, it bit my mother on her back. We are terrified to even step out now.” Another victim, Dhanraj Patil, said, “I was walking home when the dog suddenly leapt at me and bit my face. The BMC must catch it quickly and treat it so that no one else gets hurt.” Mahesh Yadav, also a resident, said, “The dog attacked me on the face as well. It came out of nowhere and jumped on me. I somehow managed to escape.”
13 December,2025 08:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaMumbai’s policing map is set for its biggest overhaul in years, with the state government approving four new police stations, two new zones and more than 1400 posts to fix uneven workloads and cut response times across the city. What has the government approved? >> Four new police stations in Mumbai>> Approval for recurring and non-recurring expenditure>> Restructuring of Mumbai’s 13 police zones>> Three new ACP divisions>> 1488 new posts sanctioned New police stations approved Maharashtra Nagar police stationFormed from parts of Bhandup and Parksite police station areas Golibar police stationFormed from Vakola and Nirmal Nagar police station areas Madh Marve police stationFormed from the Malwani police station jurisdiction Asalpha police stationFormed from Ghatkopar and Sakinaka police station areas Police stations count 91Existing police stations (excluding two, Sagari PS and Cyber PS) 4New police stations approved 95Total after addition Current imbalance (examples) Zone VI DCPHandles 10 police stations Zone XI DCPHandles 9 police stations Port Zone DCPHandles only 3 police stations (2 Sagari police stations excluded) Mumbai Police Current vs proposed structure Police Zones 13Present zones including Port Zone 2New zones to be added 15Total zones after restructuring Senior officers restructuring New deputy commissioner of police posts: 2Current DCPs: 13Total after approval: 15 Why restructuring is needed >> Unequal distribution of police stations across zones>> Some DCPs handle too many stations, others very few>> Rapidly growing population What will change after restructuring? >> Police stations will be redistributed under DCPs>> Workload will be balanced across zones>> Better supervision and faster decision-making>> Improved law and order management in high-density areas How citizens will benefit >> Local police station becomes closer to more neighbourhoods>> Response time to crime spots reduces>> Better beat policing and on-ground presence
13 December,2025 08:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Anish PatilIn a first, Maharashtra Police has started using an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered software — MahaCrimeOS AI — to fast-track India’s fight against complex and evolving cybercrime. Currently live in Nagpur, the programme will soon gMaharashtra Police rolls out AI tool to tackle cybercrimeo state-wide to help resolve cases faster. An announcement in this regard was made on Friday by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella at the Microsoft AI Tour in Mumbai. Nadella also met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the future of digital safety and AI-driven governance in the state. About MahaCrimeOS AI The AI-based platform will help Maharashtra Police link cases, extract data, analyse digital evidence, and even share legal assistance with built-in access to India’s criminal laws through integrated AI RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) and open-source intelligence. RAG connects Large Language Models (LLMs) with external, up-to-date knowledge sources to provide more accurate answers. Maharashtra has created a special purpose vehicle to introduce AI solutions in law enforcement, known by the acronym MARVEL, which stands for Maharashtra Advanced Research and Vigilance for Enforcement of Reformed Laws. Voices Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister‘Ethical and responsible AI for public good is our core motto. AI has the power to transform by improving efficiency, enhancing quality of life, and delivering true ease of living for every citizen.’ Puneet Chandok, President, Microsoft India & South Asia‘AI is redefining the future of public safety, and with MAHACrimeOS AI, we’re turning that vision into reality. By combining the scale of Microsoft Azure with cutting-edge AI capabilities, we’re empowering every officer to investigate faster, smarter, and securely ’ Harssh Poddar, Superintendent of police, Nagpur Rural, and CEO of MARVEL‘This platform is not just about faster investigations; it’s about building trust, setting new standards for governance, and creating a model that can be scaled across India.’ Implementation Current scope23 police stations in Nagpur Expansion plans1100 police stations across Maharashtra Why AI? >> About 36 lakh cybercrime incidents reported in 2024, as per the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal>> Will accelerate cybercrime investigations amid surge>> Will reduce manual effort to shift focus on solving complex cybercrimes>> Will respond to cyber threats faster and more effectively
13 December,2025 08:27 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentIn a major capacity-augmentation move, Western Railway has drawn up plans worth Rs 70 crore to expand Dadar station into a bigger midtown terminus, creating space for more express trains and easing pressure on Mumbai Central. The proposal includes new lines, extended platforms, yard rearrangement, and significant overhead equipment (OHE) and signalling upgrades, marking the most ambitious remodelling of Dadar in decades. The new plans will integrate the station with the fifth and sixth lines, which aim to segregate mail express and suburban trains. Dadar already handles platform-return express trains — services that arrive and depart from the same platform. At present, the station has only two terminal lines, from which nine platform-return trains are operated daily. With the sixth line project absorbing one of these terminal tracks, railway planners say the system will soon hit a bottleneck. “With additional platform-return services planned — at least eight more — the existing arrangement would become unmanageable,” a senior WR official said. “The new Line No 8 is essential to sustain future traffic.” The expansion plan The brand new Line No. 8 will be added along the eastern flank of Platform 7, complete with full OHE installation, signalling integration, and crossovers linking the new line with the stabling lines. This additional line will be the backbone of the future platform-return operations. In addition to this, Line No. 6 will be extended towards the Dadar Junction Loop (Line No. 4), providing a new shunt signal, upgraded OHE and crossover connectivity between Lines 5 and 6, allowing better flexibility for routing express trains during peak congestion. Structural modifications To make way for the expanded yard, part of a railway colony quarters block will be dismantled and rebuilt, and the southernmost foot overbridge (FOB) will lose one landing, which will be reconstructed in a new alignment. Additionally, the Passenger Reservation System office will be shifted, while the yard master’s office will be moved slightly eastward. Officials say these interventions will unlock critical space for smooth yard geometry. Why Dadar matters Dadar’s role as a strategic midtown dispersal point for long-distance trains is set to grow as Mumbai Central faces saturation. With new corridors and future long-distance redistribution being planned, Dadar is being positioned as a secondary terminal for select express services. Voices Shailesh Goyal, Former member, National Railway Users Consultative Committee‘If an additional line and platform is built, Dadar station can be used as an intermediate small terminal. Due to it being junction for WR and CR, this new line on the WR side can also connect with the CR main line, and WR can run trains for CR.’ Rajiv Singal, Member, Western Railway Mumbai’s Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee‘The move will help people on the Central Railway side who otherwise need to travel to Bandra or Mumbai Central to catch mail/express trains.’ Benefits on completion >> Capacity to handle 17 platform-return express movements>> Improved yard fluidity>> Reduced conflicts with suburban trains>> Potential future terminal-grade operations
13 December,2025 08:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarWindow Wonderland The iconic Christmas display at the Damian store on Hill Road in Bandra builds up the festive mood Journalists on a new stage A moment from the debut performance of the play, Nishpap. Pic/Rane Ashish There are more ways than one for journalists to bring ideas to the fore, as witnessed with the Marathi play, Nishpap, which staged its debut performance on December 11 at Sahitya Sangh Mandir, Girgaum. A concept of the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, the production marks the organisation’s first time participating in the 64th State Drama Competition. Senior journalists Devdas Matale and Swati Ghosalkar played the lead roles. Director, Gurudatta Lad, who also plays the role of the main antagonist, told us, “The story is based on William Shakespeare’s play, Othello. It’s about an army officer who is manipulated by a friend into suspecting his wife of infidelity. It portrays the theme of deception, and how sometimes, sympathy towards others can lead them to take advantage of oneself.” Magic in the house Robert Owens performs in London in October 2025. Pic courtesy/@this_is_robert_owens Often called one of the fathers of house music, American singer and producer, Robert Owens will perform at a Lower Parel venue tonight (December 13), as part of a curated event by arts and culture community, MAD Society, and music curation platforms Krunk and Hotbox. Gurleen Arora, founder, MAD Society, revealed to this diarist, “As a queer, black artiste, Owens coming to Mumbai brings a certain inclusivity and important presence to the city’s dance floors. He’s celebrating 40 years of his legacy. Artistes performing alongside him include producer Aroop Roy and 25-year-old DJ Ahmedaz, the youngest performer, among others.” Healthy air, healthy lives Members at a march held this year for conservation of flamingos in Mumbai. Pics courtesy/Siya Gupta Urvari, a youth-led environmental NGO, is organising a Silent Human Chain for Clean Air on December 20 at the Mini Seashore in Vashi. The initiative is a response to the dangerously rising Air Quality Index (AQI), which is increasingly affecting children, the elderly, and everyday life. To push for urgent action, Urvari has created a four-point agenda along with a practical pollution-control plan for the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). This plan focuses on dust regulation, strict penalties for waste burning, industrial checks, and expansion of green cover across the city. This year in February, Urvari also held a peaceful march for the Save the Flamingos movement at Seawoods in Navi Mumbai. Siya Gupta (below), Urvari’s managing director, expressed her urgency about the scenario, “When I returned to India after my studies, the AQI was pathetic, to the extent that nearly everyone had breathing issues. I hope that anyone affected by bad AQI, especially runners, those with respiratory issues, children, and anyone who wants to make Navi Mumbai a better place shows up, so that we can send out a message. This march must mark an end to burning garbage at landfills, releasing pollutants from factories, and the grievances we’ve had for years.” After the peaceful protest, the petition will be submitted to the NMMC. Gupta adds that the hashtag #cleanairnow can help people share their grievances widely. Four decades, one tradition Participants during a previous trek at Padmavati Machi, in Rajgad Fort. Pic courtesy/The Nature Lovers The Nature Lovers, a trekking adventure group, celebrates 50 years of outdoor exploration this year. From December 25 onwards, they will conduct their signature event, Rajgad Pradakshina. Held for the past 39 years, it offers participants a deep experience of nature and history. This 22 km circumambulation follows the base of Rajgad fort and reveals its majestic structure, including Balekilla, Sanjeevani, Suvela, and Padmavati Machi. “Historians share stories from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s era, with insights into the local flora and fauna. A highlight is witnessing visuals of real historic moments. Four decades, one path, one tradition — the king of forts will always be Rajgad,” said organiser Aditya Natekar. For more information, log on to @thenaturelovers_mumbai.
13 December,2025 08:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-dayADVERTISEMENT
