<h2>Just swinging by</h2>
<p>That's what a man and, metaphorically, a woman seem to be doing at Sanjay Gandhi National Park after it reopened its gates to the public last week.</p>
<h2>It's wed time</h2>
<p><img title="Wedding" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/Wedding-a.jpg" alt="Wedding" /></p>
<p>If there is one thing that the pandemic did not put a stop to, it's men and women showing interest in marrying each other via the use of online platforms. That's what a trend report that one of them has released, seems to suggest. Nearly four million users across Indian cities expressed interest in 1.5 billion profiles they liked. Eighty per cent women and 77 per cent men didn't care where the other person was located, while there was a 30 per cent spike in women making the first move. Speaking of that last statistic, Murugal Janakiraman, founder of the matrimonial site that conducted the study, said, "It speaks volumes about single women taking control of the choices they make in life."</p>
<h2>A towering tribute</h2>
<p><img title="Christmas" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/X-mas-Tree.jpg" alt="Christmas" /></p>
<p>The year may have been a grim one but it didn't stop landscape architect Douglas Saldanha from spreading some light in the city. The Worli resident is famous for his 67-ft tall pine conifer, that makes it India's tallest fully decorated Christmas tree, and entertains thousands of visitors every year. Since that, unfortunately, won't be the case this year because of the pandemic, he has called his tree "a sparkling beacon of hope," dedicating it to healthcare and frontline workers, as well as the departed and their loved ones. And even without a sponsor for the tree lights, Saldanha has managed to put up a magnificent display. "For the first time, the tree has dancing lights," he told this diarist.</p>
<h2>The art of writing</h2>
<p><img title="Book" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/Blue-Book.jpg" alt="Book" /></p>
<p>"In a book I was reading, I came across a piece of dialogue involving [VS] Naipaul. In response to the question about whether he liked any American writers, Naipaul had said, 'Do you know the first sentence of the short story The Blue Hotel by Stephen Crane? About the color blue?... I like that.' I soon found the story in a library.</p>
<p><img title="Naipaul" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/Naipaul.jpg" alt="Naipaul" /></p>
<p>This is its first sentence: 'The Palace Hotel at Fort Romper was painted a light blue, a shade that is on the legs of a kind of heron, causing the bird to declare its position against any background.' That image of the blue heron - and those words - stayed with me. And that desire to paint that blue can be seen in my painting called The Blue Book," recalled author Amitava Kumar, offering this diarist a sneak peek of his upcoming written work that will also showcase his artworks. "We all know Amitava as a greatly accomplished writer, but we've also been an admirer of his art that is sensitive and breathtakingly beautiful. He was immediately responsive when he heard the idea of a writer's journal with illustrations - and the result, the Blue Book - is magical," shared Hemali Sodhi, of A Suitable Agency that represents him, about how the unique book took shape.</p>
<h2>Carrying the torch for a legal eagle</h2>
<p><img title="Nani Palkhivala" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/Nani-Palkhivala.jpg" alt="Nani Palkhivala" /></p>
<p>It was in 1998 that Nanabhoy Palkhivala, one of the finest lawyers that the country has ever produced, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to the field of legal services. But Bombay High Court advocate Rajan Jayakar feels that that recognition isn't enough to honour Palkhivala's true legacy. That's why he started a campaign to get the Bharat Ratna conferred posthumously on him earlier this year, which happens to be the great lawyer's birth centenary. And the good news is that KK Venugopal, the current Advocate General of India, has written back saying he endorses Jayakar's proposition. "I have written to the Prime Minister too, and will write to the President as well," Jayakar told this diarist.</p>
<h2>One for the gallery</h2>
<p><img title="A piece by Kumaresan Selvaraj that will be on display at TAP" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/Kumaresan-Selvaraj.jpg" alt="A piece by Kumaresan Selvaraj that will be on display at TAP" /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>A piece by Kumaresan Selvaraj that will be on display at TAP</em></strong></span></p>
<p>At the start of the lockdown, a group of gallerists sought to explore how art could be presented in a format that transcends geographic boundaries. The outcome is www.theartplatformindia.com (TAP), an online collective of galleries. Anupa Mehta, a narrative therapist and arts advisor who has a virtual view room on the platform, told this diarist that such platforms make the gallery experience less intimidating. TAP's third edition features eight exhibitions by contemporary artists and talks.</p>
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The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce.

Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

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