<h2>Divided by nature</h2>
Two squirrels mirror each other in the trees at Shivaji Park in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-hawkers-return-to-dadar-footpaths-despite-bmc-crackdown-23620077" rel="nofollow">Dadar</a>
<h2>The Warli knot</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Warli-crochet_e.jpg" alt="Children crochet during the session (right) participants display figures wearing crochet Warli art. Pics courtesy/Dhai Akshar" width="1280" height="720" /> Children crochet during the session (right) participants display figures wearing crochet Warli art. Pics courtesy/Dhai Akshar
For International Women&rsquo;s Day, Versova-based NGO, Dhai Akshar Educational Trust, held a crochet and knitting session for children in Walawalkar Udyan in Oshiwara on March 7.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Nyla-Masood_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;It was a joint activity with the crochet club, Udhed Bunn Baatein, to make figures of Warli art women in crochet pieces. We discussed the day&rsquo;s origin, with stories of women who made history despite challenges,&rdquo; shared Nyla Masood (above), founder, Dhai Akshar NGO.
<h2>Run the numbers</h2>
While the city calms down after the high of the Indian cricket team&rsquo;s triumph in the final of the 2026 <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/amp/sports/cricket/article/2007-2024-and-now-2026-three-years-three-cheers-23619918" rel="nofollow">ICC T20 World Cup</a>, Mumbai-based businessman Jigar Desai is revelling in his latest find. A collector, Desai&rsquo;s fascination lies in the specific hobby of collecting currency notes whose serial numbers correspond with memorable dates. His latest addition celebrates India&rsquo;s triumph. The ten-rupee note he tracked down carries the denomination 080326, marking the date of India&rsquo;s victory.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Jigar-Desi_e.jpg" alt="Jigar Desai (right) with Rohit Sharma" width="1280" height="720" /> Jigar Desai (right) with Rohit Sharma
For nearly a decade, Desai has been building a personal archive of Indian currency notes linked to significant cricketing moments. This is not the first World Cup &lsquo;memorabilia&rsquo; that the collector has picked up. Some of his finds include a rupee note referencing India&rsquo;s 1983 World Cup victory and sequences linked to the birthdays of cricketers Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/T20-world-cup-note_e.jpg" alt="The 10-rupee note with the victory date. Pics courtesy/Jigar Desai " width="1280" height="720" /> The 10-rupee note with the victory date. Pics courtesy/Jigar Desai&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been collecting notes for over 10 years, and being a huge fan of the sport, I try to collect as many as I can. Finding them often requires patience and a network of fellow collectors,&rdquo; Desai told this diarist. &ldquo;A lot of collectors who deal with vintage coins and notes reach out to help me with my collection as well,&rdquo; &nbsp;he said.
<h2>Take the garden path</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Green-wall_e.jpg" alt="The Curtain Creeper at Amitabh Bachchan&rsquo;s house. Pics courtesy/Subhajit Mukherjee" width="1280" height="720" /> The Curtain Creeper at Amitabh Bachchan&rsquo;s house. Pics courtesy/Subhajit Mukherjee
With the city greens slowly vanishing, we might do well to grow our own little gardens. Easier said than done, cautions Subhajit Mukherjee (below), founder of the non-governmental organisation, Mission Green Mumbai. The environmentalist suggested Mumbaikars would do well to take a leaf out of Amitabh Bachchan&rsquo;s home garden at Jalsa.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Subhajit-Mukherjee_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Mukherjee recently spotted a Curtain Creeper growing around the perimeter of the superstar&rsquo;s Juhu bungalow. &ldquo;In vertical gardens, Mumbaikars often grow plants that aren&rsquo;t conducive to the city&rsquo;s sultry, humid climate. The Curtain Creeper and even the Money Plant are the best options. Curtain Creepers crucially mitigate air pollution,&rdquo; he revealed to this diarist.
<h2>A breath of fresh air</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Siddhant-Shelar_e.jpg" alt="(Left to right) Siddhant Shelar, Naseeruddin Shah, and Nandini Pillai. Pic courtesy/Siddhant Shelar" width="1280" height="720" /> (Left to right) Siddhant Shelar, Naseeruddin Shah, and Nandini Pillai. Pic courtesy/Siddhant Shelar
When independent filmmaker Siddhant Shelar began working on a short film about air pollution, he knew the message needed a voice that audiences would instantly respond to. That voice, he says, belongs to Naseeruddin Shah. &ldquo;To my surprise, a cold email brought his unexpected reply. The veteran actor agreed to be a part of my film,&rdquo; said Shelar. The film, AQI Yeh Q Hai? centres on the growing concern around India&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-weather-update-imd-predicts-warm-day-in-city-as-aqi-remains-satisfactory-in-mumbai-issues-yellow-alert-for-parts-of-maharashtra-23619835" rel="nofollow">Air Quality Index (AQI)</a> and the strange normalcy surrounding worsening pollution levels. It also carries a subtle nod to the film, A Wednesday (2008) in which Shah played an ordinary citizen confronting a pressing public issue. Shot over two days last winter, the short film marks Shelar&rsquo;s directorial debut as the film releases on Instagram and YouTube on March 11.

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Divided by nature

The Warli knot

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