The new generation travelers thrive on experiencing new and innovative services and the best form of this for them, is to explore the local culture writes Natalia Jimmy Mistry.
Luxury hospitality continues to be one of the biggest, most lucrative and fastest-growing of all hospitality sectors. Whether it is unforgettable, personalized service, fine food and wine or a relaxing spa, luxury has become a key component of the hospitality industry.
Luxury hospitality has many meanings, depending on the guest’s needs. Often, guests want the best in food, culture, activities and wellness. They come to a destination seeking the same experiences that wealthy locals have access to, providing guests with a real flavor of the local culture.
The customer needs are also continually evolving. Many of today’s luxury travelers are looking for something less tangible than material extravagance. The leaders of today’s luxury hospitality industry have their fingers firmly on that pulse. These companies offer bespoke packages that strike a balance between comfort and challenge.
Some of the top defining trends of the luxury hospitality industry are:
1. Authentic and Innovative Experience
The new generation travellers believe in authenticity. They thrive on experiencing new and innovative services and the best form of this for them, is to explore the local culture. It could mean tasting the local cuisine and local drink or taking a shot at the local activities of that particular hotel’s location. They are constantly looking for something fun and exciting that increases their adrenaline rush. This could be the perfect opportunity for hotels to provide in house activities such as cooking, yoga, dance and fitness classes executed by a local professional or offering thrilling adventure activities and watersports, in its unique environment. It is crucial to lay emphasis on the personalization and customization of the traveller. All services offered by the hospitality companies, should not only match up to the traveller’s expectations, but over exceed them to create customer value and retain loyalty. Hospitality companies need to identify its unique points and what differentiates them from the rest of its competitors. By doing so, it will automatically pin them high on the map. The new generation travellers will appreciate and value the uniqueness of the hotel and in turn make recurring visits and propagate the brand.
2. Hotel technology- High tech and touch points
The new age travellers want a feeling of Home wherever they go. As a hospitality hotel, they should ensure each of its guests feel a warm welcome and at home ease. In luxury travel, the travellers expect comfort at their fingertips. They want ultimate luxury at the convenience of their fingertips. Check in via mobile phones and apps, smart technology such as SMART TV, refrigerators, toilets, mirrors to its in-room smartphone and Ipads. They expect the latest automation and voice activated technology such as Siri and Alexa in each aspect of their stay, both in and out of their rooms. This gives them a sense of personalization, individualization and special treatment.
By digitalizing guest experience, the management can further improve on its innovative techniques to generate better offers to retain as well as attract new travellers.
3.Sustainability
The millennial traveller is a ‘conscious traveler’. They are well aware of their rights are surroundings. A recent case study shows, these travellers pick a hotel based on its sustainability principles. They are more conscious of the environment than any of the travellers in the past. Hotels can ensure that they are taking all steps towards a greener and eco friendlier environment by creating small garden spaces and plantations all around its property. This solves the twin purpose of sustainability and appeal. They should also follow all the correct steps of reusing materials and disposal system. This makes the traveller connect with the brand on an emotional level as it is socially responsible.
4. Micro-travel and Foodies
This has become a recent trend in the travel industry. Many travellers want to fulfill an extensive itinerary yet gain the maximum memorable experiences that they can. They want to cover majority in very shortened time and hence, they are clear on the areas or experiences they want to cover. Such type of travellers want to take advantage of every moment and so, these make them the most distinguished out of all the other travellers. They increase their number of visits and experience new memories each time, which can prove to be profitable for these hotels. Last minute bookings can be made easy through offers and incentives.
FOODIES are the modern travelers who are seeking destination based hotels hotels specifically for the culinary experience they have to offer. They travel to explore all the local culture in terms of tits cuisines specifically.. In such cases, hotels can go above and beyond to exceed guest expectations by curating a special menu in their restaurants, using all the local ingredients and preparing traditional delicacies paired with its in house wine to complement their meals. This will make the travellers feel esteemed and in turn, return or recommend the same to other like-minded guests.
5. Social networks, social media & bloggers
Online Communities such as Instagram, Facebook and TripAdvisor have a prominent impact on customers. The millennial travellers are good researchers and hence, having positive customer feedback, reviews and ratings on online portals are a great way to get them to pick you amongst the thousands of other competitors. This will enable them to build a greater form of trust with the brand as they are connecting with the other real customers who have been a part of the same experience and it is not the hotel promoting itself. Similarly, bloggers are paid and invited to experience the best of what a hotel has to offer and share their same experience to their followers, attracting them to experience the same, This results in creation of brand awareness and increases sales opportunities.
Della Resorts is a paradigm in Indian Hospitality and has been using the above trends to remain at the top of the game. It’s mobile friendly app and online presence through virtual communities enables customers to select the best package on last minute bookings. From the moment you check in for your weekend getaway, you can enjoy the luxury and comfort of each of our 245 resort rooms, we have to offer. Each luxury room is updated and installed with the latest automation and technology as well as serviced with Smart TVs and its in-house iPads to which there is an additional butler service in the Della Suites provided, to especially cater to your every need and service at your beck and call. Della Resorts believes strongly in sustainability and going green and hence the entire design of the property is based on beautiful gardens and large elegant green spaces, which adds an additional aesthetic charm, to the existing natural backdrops of the mountains and valleys. It also assures the right disposal system and reduction of wastage processes, during each wedding, events and daily operations.
To experience local culture, they can take a shot at the 70+ thrilling adventure activities at Della Adventure, India’s first extreme Adventure Park. These are taught and overlooked by the local professionally trained marshals to teach you the art, skills and technique to carry out each. The guests can also explore local food and satisfy their midnight cravings at our 24-hour award winning restaurant Café 24, that prepare delicious meals utilizing all the local ingredients made by the local chefs themselves. Each service is catered with utmost passion, efficiency and expertise to provide an unforgettable experience to our clients. It is definitely the perfect place to be for all Luxury travellers, Adventure Enthusiasts, Micro Travellers, Foodies and all those who are looking for new experiences in Indian Hospitality. Della Resorts ensures right from the moment you check in to even after the check out, you make it your home away from home. The warm hospitality and impeccable service, ensures to turn you into an extension of its family.
IMC Chamber of Commerce and lndustry has organized a book launch and discussion on “Honour Bound: Adventures of an Indian Lawyer in the English Courts” authored by Mr. Sarosh Zaiwalla, Senior Partner at Zaiwalla & Co, Solicitor and International Arbitrator and Mediator from London
The event is scheduled on Wednesday, 5 Feb 2020, at 5 o’clock at IMC Library Lounge, Mumbai.
About the Author:
Senior Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. – Mr. Sarosh Zaiwalla: Mr. Sarosh Zaiwalla founded Zaiwalla & Co. Solicitors in April 1982 with offices in Chancery Lane, London. He specializes in arbitration and mediation and has worked with the governments of various countries including India, UK,China, Iran and Russia.
About IMC
IMC’s F.E. Commercial & Financial Reference Library was established in 1967, as part of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Chamber. lt was inaugurated by Late Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi in 1967. The library caters not only to IMC members but to the public at large. The library is housed with with books on the history of Mumbai citym books with rare, selective and up-to-date source materials on major economic, legal, commercial and other developments in lndia and abroad.
Our dear friend, mentor and entrepreneur extraordinaire Jimmy Mistry recently gave a TEDx talk that is an inspiration for Zarathushti youth today. The hope is that his talk will motivate Parsi youth to start doing great things in whichever field they wish.
Jimmy Mistry believes that there lies an inherent need to ignite passion and a feeling of patriotism amongst citizens of the country.
Watch his full speech at TEDxBITSGoa of him sharing his “Youreka” moment.
Jimmy Mistry’s story is an inspiring one – that of a self-made man who made his life by the sheer force of perseverance and a strong foundation of ethics and values.
Tardeo resident had willed everything to his family physician; assets include 3 bank accounts and properties across the state; couple’s grandniece had contested the will, saying it was forged.
A general physician who runs aclinic in Tardeo will get all the assets owned by an elderly couple she had treated for at least five years. The Bombay High Court recently upheld the authenticity of a will drawn up by 87-year-old Dinshaw Gandhi
five years before his death in 2014, in which he apparently bequeathed everything he owned to his physician Dr Veena Patel
Dr Patel became the couple’s family physician
in 2001.
Tardeo residents Gandhi and his wife Homai, who died in 2006, were child-free. Gandhi owned several assets across the state, including three bank accounts and fixed deposits. The court order did not reveal the total estimate of the assets.
Dr Veena Patel runs a clinic in Tardeo. (Right) Dinshaw Gandhi willed his flat in Batliwala Compound in Tardeo to her. Its tenancy is still disputed since the building is owned by Zoroastrian Building Fund Trust
After Gandhi’s death, Dr Patel filed for execution of the will in the HC. But the will was contested by Gandhi’s grandniece Bhaktawar Ghadially. She claimed that not only was the will “false and fabricated”, but also that Gandhi was physically unfit owing to his advanced age when it was executed. She also raised questions about the will being executed in Dr Patel’s handwriting as well as about Gandhi’s signature on it. Ghadially had claimed that Gandhi’s residence was her ancestral home, and that he had no right to will it to anyone.
Patel, however, said that her own father had passed away on the same day in Rajasthan and therefore she could not make it.
During her cross-examination, the physician denied taking undue advantage of the couple being child-free or that she coerced Gandhi into bequeathing his assets to her.
Justice AK Menon rejected Ghadially’s contentions, holding that Gandhi seemed to be of sound mind while executing his will. “The testator (Gandhi), in my view, appears to have signed the will after having understood the effect thereof,” he said in the order.
The court accepted Dr Patel’s statement that Gandhi had dictated his will to her. She had also claimed that Gandhi was “hale and hearty” at the time, and that he often visited a bank, the Parsi Agiary, a temple, and the market near his home.
The court held that it wasn’t relevant if the couple considered Dr Patel to be their daughter. “But it could be true considering that the plaintiff (the doctor) also stayed with them for some days and used to send food to them,” it said. Ghadially had claimed that if Patel was indeed treated like a daughter, Gandhi’s last rites would not have been performed by the landlord.
On the contention over the signature on the will, Justice Menon pointed out that Gandhi had signed in both English and Gujarati, and given a thumb impression. He also observed that the will was executed in the presence of two witnesses, Jimmy and Zenobia Bhoot.
One of Gandhi’s assets, however, is still under dispute. His flat is in Batliwala Compound
in Tardeo, a property owned by the Zoroastrian Building Fund Trust. A previous HC order had clarified that separate civil proceedings will have to be initiated to establish its tenancy.
During hearing of the suit, another claimant to the property had emerged. Neville Sam Daruwalla, a relative, had filed a caveat, asking to be made party to the petition, claiming that he was the Gandhis’ rightful legal heir. His claim was dismissed after he refused to reveal his actual relationship, saying he “did not trust Patel”.
For Zoroastrians, all roads led to Rustom Baug on the 25th of January for The BuzZYNG Flea, the launch event of ZYNG 2.0 (Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation), in a hip and happening new avatar. On Saturday evening, Zoroastrians of all age groups witnessed a complete makeover of the sprawling Rustom Baug Ground with ecstatic bohemian decor, scintillating performances, food and fashion indulgences and kids activities.
The shopaholics indulged in some of the latest fashion trends from boho clothing to stylish bags, funky accessories to glittery and artsy makeovers and much more offered by brands like the The Bubble Loft Co, The Hair Story, The Colour Nest, Dazzle, Bliss, Kaalon, Mint & Oak, Fabshield and more.
The crowd treated their taste buds and made their bellies happy with multiple cuisines and tasty treats offered by brands like Kaavo, Baosum, Nothing But Chicken, Wonder Popcorn, Za’atar, New York Burrito Company, Good Fettle, The Mystery Box, The Dessert Avenue, Bourzin’s Big Bites, The Junction and more.
Cerana Meads, Gymkhana91 and Grover Zampa Wines added buzz to The BuzZYNG Flea for the youth to unwind and relax by sipping on the best of the best cocktails, meads and wines while they enjoyed the scintillating performances by young Zoroastrian talented singers like Shanaya Boyce, Khurshed Mogrelia, Sarosh Sidhva, Rehan Balaporia and Hushad Khan along with great sets played by DJ Zubin Fanibanda. To top it all, Burzin Engineer and his dance crew (Dance Out India) enthralled the crowd with their energizing performance.
The 16th East Bombay Zoroastrian Scout Group engaged the kids and preteens with unique and creative base games along with the application of teamwork and leadership skills which included cooking, tent pitching, commando crossing, observation focused games and more. Besides the bouncy castles entertaining the little ones, few kids also tried their hands with mosaic bottle and mandala dot painting offered by Art Inc.
Party games for all like smash my face, can knockdown, 7up7down, twister and more along with simulator racing (Ajmera Indikarting) were other fun activities, many enjoyed with their friends and family.
Actor Jim Sarbh from Padmavat and Neerja fame graced the event, interacting with the crowd and giving an opportunity to all to click some great memories with him. Some other eminent personalities in the Zoroastrian community like MTV VJ Benafsha Soonawala, Dance Master Marzi Pestonji, Model & Actress Sanaya Pithawalla, BPP trustees – Mr. Xerxes Dastur, Mrs. Armaity Tirandaz and Mr. Viraf Mehta along with BPP ex-Chairman Mr. Dinshaw Mehta were present to encourage the new committee of ZYNG2.0 to continually provide a platform for bringing the Zoroastrian youth closer.
ZYNG wants to thank the Sir Ness Wadia Memorial Pavillion (SNWMP) committee as well as the Rustom Baug Residents Association for always lending their support and the BPP trustees for their encouragement towards youth activities.
For more details on ZYNG2.0 and updates on upcoming exciting activities kindly follow:
The London filmmaker on chronicling the legacy of Khorshed and Kekoo Gandhy.
As a young woman, Behroze Gandhy tried hard to maintain a distance from her artistic lineage. “Growing up, I didn’t want anything to do with art, my parents [Bombay’s original art couple Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy] or their gallery,” says the London-based filmmaker. “I felt I should get away from it and make my own mark… but after a point, I couldn’t escape the goodwill my parents had, and the doors it opened for me.” In town for the screening of her 90-minute documentary feature, Kekee Manzil – The House of Art, Gandhy pursued media studies in the UK in the 1970s and decided to stay on. “A series of chances led me to film and research at the British Film Institute,” she says.
“I had memories of my father talking about the Bengal school and the Bombay Progressives, and when I started my academic work, all this began to feel connected, and I began exploring the link between early Indian cinema and art.”
Though she was trying to circumvent the world of art, it found her. “And because I was a filmmaker in the UK, people kept telling me that I must record my father, that it was going to be all history one day,” she says. “My parents were, after all, witness to key moments of the Indian contemporary art movement from the early 40s, and established the first contemporary art gallery in Bombay. So, I conducted a long interview with them in 2002, but unfortunately I lost the footage.”
Their beautiful sea-facing home in Bandra has, thus, become the anchor for this film. “In the last years of my parents’ lives, they spent a lot of time in Kekee Manzil. I kept coming back to spend many months with them,” says Behroze, who brought on board a camera team to film them again a few years later. “After they died in 2012-13, I knew I had the material to make a documentary, which could reflect on the story of Indian art. So, I started collaborating with Dilesh Korya, who edited and co-directed the film, which I financed.”
From family members — siblings Rashna, Adil and Shireen, uncle Dara — to old archives in 8 mm film, it all helped to provide an account of how her parents journeyed into contemporary art and their encounters with Italian prisoners of war, Jewish emigres and Belgian businessmen.
“The story of the film is about how my father, a casualty of the World War II, landed up being one of the catalysts of an art movement, which was at odds with his Parsi business background,” says Behroze.
“My dad’s journey revolved around a shop selling picture frames, and a series of curious coincidences leading him to the point of opening Gallery Chemould in 1963.”
This story is told through interviews with artists and personalities from across fields, such as SH Raza, Krishen Khanna, Tyeb Mehta, Sakina Mehta, Anish Kapoor and Salman Rushdie, who knew the couple well, and were able to reflect on their legacy. In fact, in the film, Rushdie even speaks about the confidence he developed to “invent a painter in the The Moor’s Last Sigh,” because of his associations with artists such as Bhupen Khakhar, Gulammohammed Sheikh and Vivan Sundaram.
The film, however, is not only about the couple’s involvement in the arts. It is punctuated by seminal political events — the Independence movement, the Emergency, and the 1992-1993 riots — and how it influenced them. “I saw my father work closely with the peace committees during the Bombay riots, for instance,” says Behroze. “So, the film is as much about art as it is about their political lives.”
IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry had organized a Book Launch of the book “Honour Bound : Adventures of an Indian Lawyer in the English Courts” authored by Mr. Sarosh Zaiwalla, Sr. Partner at Zaiwalla & Co., International Lawyer, Arbitrator and Mediator based in London on 5th February, 2020 in F. E. Dinshaw Library, at IMC, Churchgate, in Mumbai.
IMC’s F.E. Dinshaw Commercial & Financial Reference Library was established in 1967, as part of the Diamond Jubliee Celebrations of the Chamber. It was inaugurated by Late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi in the year 1967. The library caters not only to IMC members but at public at large. The library is inhoused with history of Mumbai city books with rare, selective and up-to-date source materials on major economic, legal, commercial and other developments in India and abroad.
Special Guest of Honour: Mr. Ashis Ray, Indian Foreign correspondent based in London who is been serving in BBC , ITN, Times of India moderated the session along with Special Guest Mr. Jimmy Pochkhanawala, Senior Counsel, Supreme Court of India.
Mr. Zaiwalla is a parsi lawyer from Dahanu and Mumbai studied in St. Xavier’s High School, Bombay, studied his law and graduated from Government Law College in 1972 and founded Zaiwalla & Co. Solicitors in April 1982. He is the Senior Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. Solicitors which has been in the City of London for the past 35 years. He shares his adventures and experiences of his life and career through his book “Honour Bound: Adventures of an Indian Lawyer in the English Courts”. There are about 104 reported judgments in the English law reports where his firm had acted for one of the parties. A judgment is only reported in the law reports if it affects the development of law. Today, the firm is one of the leading firms in the field of International Arbitration.
The book looks back on his career – from his passage to England at a time when diversity had barely begun to take root in its legal circles to now leading a groundbreaking law firm. This is the story of a solicitor who made his way on his own terms, with creativity but without ever compromising on his values.
(Left to Right) Ms. Emily Simons, Associate, Zaiwalla & Co Solicitors; Mr. Ashis Ray, Indian Foreign Correspondent; Mr. Ashish Vaid, President, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr. Sarosh Zaiwalla, Author and Senior Partner at Zaiwalla & Co., Solicitor and International Arbitrator and Mediator; Mr. Ajit Mangrulkar, Director General, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Some of the cases concluded have created a storm in India.
Mr. Zaiwalla’s memoir is filled with drama and intrigue, from instructing a young barrister to deal with some of the biggest cases ever heard. Some of the International Arbitration:
• Participated in over 1,200 International Arbitrations either as Solicitor, Counsel, Party-Appointed Arbitrator or Sole Arbitrator.
• Conducted a major Energy Arbitration in London on behalf of Chinese Petroleum Corporations CNPC and CPTDC, which concerned a joint venture with LG Caltex for the construction of an LPG storage tank in Maoming, China.
• Conducted for CPECC (China Petroleum and Engineering Construction Company): An Arbitration in London concerning the construction of a gathering station for the Kuwait Oil Corporation.
• Conducted a large two-week Maritime Arbitration before Cedric Barclay as Sole Arbitrator in New Orleans.
• Conducted numerous International Arbitrations in London for the Government of India, ONGC, IOC and other Indian multi-nationals.
• Handled Arbitration for the National Iranian Oil Company in London concerning the Russian Oil Rig Sakhalinskaya.
While he still has many chapters ahead of him, he quotes “A lawyer never retires after all”.
The session followed by discussions, Q&A’s with the audience. The launch was a big hit with a large crowd of participation from readers from law, business, chartered accountants, journalists and other industry areas.
TO practice conservation in Mumbai, one must be lucky to have the right client who understands and sympathizes with the word ‘conservation’. I was fortunate to have one such client, the Garib Zarthostiona Rehethan Fund, a benevolent trust looking after the low/middle income group, residential housing needs of the Parsi community.
Unusually, this trust believed in repairing and maintaining a heritage property rather than in demolition and redevelopment, and in doing so, bearing the entire cost of the repair and not burdening the tenants with the costs, this being the ideal professional as well as legal position. The trust owns about 50 such unloved, under-appreciated but definitely ‘heritage’ buildings in Mumbai city, scattered around Central and South Mumbai, as part of various community housing schemes which were prevalent in the 19th century. Working with this trust for the past five years, I have been responsible for the conservation of at least a dozen buildings, which has given me deeper insights as to how easy and cost effective it is to repair as against the rampant unquestioned redevelopment mantra being currently practised in Mumbai.
Working on this project has reinforced for me the age-old conviction that it is usually more economical and wiser to repair rather than reconstruct or redevelop. It helps in reviving the lost skills and craftsmanship of various artisans; retains the socio-cultural relationship and harmony between people and place, and does not burden the fragile century-old urban infrastructure. Such a resource saving approach is the need of the hour for Mumbai, which in the absence of good planning and development guidelines, is on a rampant path of insensitive redevelopment.
A High Court interim order of February 2014 has reaffirmed that the Grade III and other buildings in the precincts from seeking redevelopment under section DCR 33(6-10) need not seek approval from the MHCC (Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee). As a result, we will see a lot more redevelopment rather than repair of old buildings in the heritage precincts. The Lal Chimney Compound conservation is thus an important case study to demonstrate to the government and citizens of Mumbai what effective repairs can do, and hope this leads to a policy that incentivizes repair of heritage structures over their demolition, followed by insensitive redevelopment.
Mumbai faces an acute shortage of affordable housing. As an island city, land is limited and the monetary value of available land is amongst the highest in the world. Rental housing that was prevalent till the 1960s and ’70s was able to fulfil the demand. However, when the rental system was stopped and ownership of flats started, the affordable housing stock was badly hit, changing the dynamics of the city from community to class dominated housing. Comparatively speaking, no other city in the country has such an acute shortage of affordable housing, which is a matter of grave concern for Mumbai’s future.
Historically, in the late 19th century, affordable housing was provided for cotton mill workers by the mill owners. Later, the City Improvement Trust provided similar single room tenements with common service facilities (e.g., the BDD chawls) in areas around the mills, in what is now considered central Mumbai. This trend continued till the mid-20th century into the suburbs where land was relatively cheaper. With the advent of the cooperative housing society model in the late 1960s, the availability of rental accommodation declined.
Lal Chimney ariel view post restoration
One of Mumbai’s major drawbacks is its frozen rents since 1944 (after World War II) due to the Rent Control Act. As a result, about 19000 tenanted buildings, now nearly a century old, are completely neglected and ill-maintained. This constitutes the bulk of the inner city’s building stock. Many of these buildings are in extremely poor condition with some even having collapsed, resulting in loss of lives, while others are in various stages of dilapidation. Not surprisingly, people do not want to stay in such buildings. But as the rents are very low (due to the Rent Control Act), the tenants prefer to lock their premises, anticipating redevelopment at some later stage. In the process they block access to these affordable houses for others. The government has refrained from altering or abolishing the Rent Control Act, as it fears losing out on popular vote banks. Consequently, these buildings have deteriorated with every passing decade.
What has worsened the already existing dismal situation is the recent change of rules that now give unjustifiable incentives for demolition and redevelopment over repairs. With a higher FSI (Floor Space Index) available for redevelopment schemes, an external private developer is now involved in redevelopment. The redeveloped buildings are cooperative societies, charging market based maintenance rates and taxes after redevelopment, which the original tenants often cannot afford. Hence, they are pushed to areas that are at the periphery of the city. In the process, they lose their moorings and base, which is undesirable, as eventually ‘people make places’. The new flats in the redeveloped buildings are sold to the more affluent, resulting in an increase of unaffordable housing stock. The builders reap super-profits while urban density increases significantly, leading to a poorer quality of life and infrastructure that just cannot cope with an increase in loads.
Let us now look at the conservation of the Lal Chimney Compound. The goal of this project was to make the government consider offering incentives equivalent to the cost of comprehensive repairs as additional FSI or TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) to landlord and tenants. This would significantly prolong the life of the existing building stock in the city until the next development plan of Mumbai is prepared, within two decades. At the insistence of tenants, the repairs and restoration undertaken in the Lal Chimney Compound case were of a high standard and quality. The vacant flats of these repaired buildings were rented out again, thus creating affordable housing stock (which is the need of the hour) for the city from amongst existing resources.
The Parsi’s are one of the more affluent communities in the country that has shown concern about the housing needs of its people. It has constructed baugs (gated colonies with garden) for the more affluent members of the community as seen in South Mumbai. Among other examples are Cusrow Baug and Rustom Baug. It has also built entire colonies like the Dadar Parsi Colony which was part of the Town Planning Scheme for middle income members of the community. This colony is designed with adequate open spaces, i.e., five gardens. Lastly, several compounds or cluster of buildings (like a complex) were built for the less fortunate members. The former two types of community housing are looked after by the Bombay Parsi Punchayat Trust (BPPT), the second largest individual private landowner of properties in Mumbai after the Mumbai Port Trust (MPT).
This compound is looked after by the Garib Zarthostiona Rehethan Fund (GZRF), which was also responsible for building the Lal Chimney Housing Complex. The Lal Chimney complex was the second such colony to be restored in Mumbai, the first being the Sethna, Gamadiya, Patel and Dadyseth buildings off Wadia Street, demonstrating the commitment of the trust towards the well-being of its tenants and colonies.
In Marzban Colony, the Lal Chimney building complex is a modest example of good community housing of the late 19th and early 20th century in Mumbai. The complex takes one back to an era when a simple life took precedence over pretence, and where beauty was evident in the tiny details as seen in the excellent craftsmanship that was then the established standard of work. These buildings were not listed as heritage buildings or precincts when their repair work commenced in 2009.
The complex is located in front of Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central (East) and is set within a cluster of five buildings which are similar in scale, mass and volume. This entire stretch on Dr Nair Road had a similar building stock, all for housing, and broadly for three communities – the Bohris (Muslim), the Parsis and the Christians. The compound has a rear secondary street which serves as a service alley. This area was well laid out, with gardens and open grounds, and remains one of the better planned areas on the outskirts of the inner city.
The ground plus two storey structures are bilaterally symmetrical in planning. The neighbourhood still affords a picturesque view in spite of the new residential towers that have sprung up, thereby completely eroding the urban design characteristics of this road. A vibrant mix of generations live here: old couples, families, young kids and middle aged adults form a thriving and lively community. A sense of community, which is rarely seen in today’s high rise buildings, is still prevalent here owing to its architecture and urban design.
The buildings are plain functional residential buildings with vernacular, teak perforated parapets and the finer façade details like a cornice running around decorative mouldings on windows, flower motifs, etc. which ornament the old buildings. The roof is tiled and a string course runs at some floor levels, and the common passages have decorative wooden railings and louvred ventilators, adding to the architectural charm of the buildings.Though the buildings are not particularly significant for their architectural style, they remain good examples of architecture, urban design, town planning and a precinct that has an overall character with mass and scale and an interactive community system.
All five buildings follow the same construction methodology. The main structure consists of brick load bearing external walls that have a thickness of 16 to 20 inches and the construction of slab is a jack arch with steel joist supports. In the kitchen area and some rooms, the slabs have been strengthened by the addition of steel support perpendicular to the direction of hidden I-sections. However, no reconstruction of slab was ever carried out. The balcony or verandah or passage has teak posts and beams. The plinth is made up of basalt stone and the staircase is wooden. The top floor has teak trusses below the rafters/purlins and on them lay the teak boarding, with a tiled roof above.
In the 1970s when most of the tenantable building stock in Mumbai was approximately 70 years old, and the occupants started to demand repairs, the government started a housing repair board, Mumbai Housing Area Development Authority, and introduced a cess or repair fund to counter the problems associated with the Rent Act. This fund was to be used to repair these residential tenanted buildings by replacing the decayed or damaged area and materials; for example, wood which was expensive, was to be replaced with steel. The objective of setting up of this fund was good, but unfortunately the government did not insist on adherence to principles of conservation while undertaking repair, principles such as minimum intervention, using materials that were similar to the original, etc., as conservation as a discipline and practice had not yet emerged in India.
As a result it was seen that maximum intervention was done, and even good condition building-fabric was shown as waste and removed, starting a parallel business of selling good timber material salvaged from old buildings. The steel used did not last long, and it was seen that the building deteriorated faster with such repairs. However, the only good point of such insitu repairs was that density remained constant, building scale and mass was maintained and there was no additional load on the fragile infrastructure.
After a decade or two it became the trend to reconstruct the entire building on the same footprint, and this resulted in formalizing the salvage racket where good wood was sold and replaced with steel that required frequent repairs. The buildings were completely deprived of their architectural character. However, the positive was that the tenants remained and building mass and scale was retained.
After another decade, i.e. 1990-2000, the trend shifted and the MHADA started reconstructing the buildings themselves by following the accepted by-laws of the city. They got a marginally higher FSI to recover the cost of construction. However, with the involvement of government agencies, expectedly, the construction quality deteriorated and many of these buildings are once again in a some-what poor condition within a couple of decades itself, and are awaiting reconstruction again with higher FSI. It is a pity that the government did not increase the cess fund (presently Rs 2000/sq mt approx) and never insisted on retaining as much of its original fabric as possible by using similar materials.
By the turn of the last century, private players were roped in for redevelopment and the tenants were provided larger areas as per minimum standards (350 sq ft), and as a result, the FSI was increased to meet construction costs. An additional area was given as sale component and present by-laws were followed that provided for setbacks, basement and podium parking free of FSI. This development has resulted in eroding the gently woven cultural fabric and street life, which was the strength of the inner city. The podium-height kept increasing as individual towers capitalized on selling flats offering the best views of the city, while sadly forgetting that the next old cessed building to be redevelop would also go up to the same height. Soon, all we will have are dark alleys and left over spaces in between towers instead of streets.
Out of approximately 19000 cessed properties in Mumbai, a large number are owned by trusts who provide community housing. Hence, this small step taken by the Garib Zarthostiona Rehethan Fund Trust can be a giant one in retaining Mumbai’s unloved, under-appreciated buildings, thereby saving the city from the infrastructure pressures and in enhancing the quality of life.
Lal Chimney prior to restoration
The methodology followed by the Lal Chimney Compound conservation was as follows. For a few buildings which underwent extensive structural repairs, the tenants were shifted into other community housing colonies for a brief period (3-4 months) unlike the redevelopment module where people are shifted for a few years. This is often inconvenient to the elders of the community who have an emotional bonding and need to be in the place where they have lived long years.
Change is inevitable, but the present redevelopment trend only benefits the developer and does no good for the city. Hence, the approach of repair followed in the Lal Chimney Compound can be used until a new redevelopment scheme with proper planning and infrastructure, that will benefit the city first, is initiated. The repair philosophy adopted was to retain as much of the original fabric as possible, thereby saving on resources as well as making it economical.
The amazing advantage of restoring wooden buildings is that they can be strengthened insitu by replacing the decayed area or by flitching it. In the end it was heartening to see that even the few tenants who were disgruntled at the prospect of repairs, were satisfied and happy when the entire restoration was over, as they got an upgraded colony. Most importantly, they did not have to contribute even marginally as the trust bore all the expenses of repairs.
Such an approach, if used for all cessed properties in Mumbai, can actually transform the city heritage or inner city, and add to vibrant economical areas while offering affordable housing to the needy. The work started with comprehensive structural repairs to one such building, i.e. Wadia building in the year 2009. After its successful completion, four other buildings in the same colony, which had earlier undergone internal repairs, were also restored externally as the tenants/residents demanded it; thereby one entire complex got restored, leading to its rejuvenation as well as that of its surroundings. For the residents, their existing lifestyle and social interaction continued uninterrupted. No additional pressure was created on the fragile infrastructure of the city (water supply, sanitation, drainage, electrical load and cars) due to the repairs and restoration.
Mumbai was the first city in India to enact heritage legislation in 1995 and has listed about 624 properties and 14 precincts. The Lal Chimney Compound property was not listed individually or under a precinct. However, in 2012 a draft list, initially of additional structures, was published, and the compound has now been listed as Grade III. In the subsequent modification made in 1999 by the government, cessed properties in Grade III and in precincts are now exempted from the purview of the heritage legislation. Thus we see the mushrooming of high rise in heritage precincts, despite so-called heritage protection under the law. The proposed draft list of 2012 is yet to be finalized and its fate will be decided depending on the public hearings. However, in a recent interim judgment, the Bombay High Court has opened the floodgates for redevelopment as Grade III buildings have been removed from purview of the heritage committee, leaving it to monitor only grade I and II buildings.
Time has taken its toll in some areas of the Lal Chimney Compound buildings that underwent piecemeal and ill-informed repairs in the past. It was also noticed that many tenants had themselves carried out repairs, additions and alterations, thereby changing the uniformity and the look of the building. Additions like box grills and projection of areas in the front open space were seen in some buildings, such as the Dadachandji building.
The lack of regular maintenance, ageing of buildings, insensitive extensions and alterations have resulted in the rapid deterioration of buildings in the complex. The corrosion in the jack arches has resulted in hogging of the floor tiles and cracks appearing in the flooring. New interventions in the buildings to suit modern lifestyles and hasty replacement of the old features to suit the purpose at the time, have also deteriorated the fabric of the built form. The common passages which define the character of the buildings abutting the street have been modified over the ages and have now become a chaotic mix, suited to individual needs. The symmetry maintained in the built form is lost when the railing becomes a brick parapet on the ground floor, wooden railing on the first and MS grill on the second floor. Vegetation growth was noted on the exterior sides of all five buildings. Termite infestation was seen at some places in the building and was not attended to holistically. The roof had not been attended to comprehensively in the recent past and required complete redoing as there was considerable leakage from the gutter areas. The Mangalore tiles were similarly broken or even completely missing at many places.
The repairs were carried out following accepted conservation philosophy and methodology, such as preparing of fabric status reports, use of like-to-like materials, which are compatible and traditional to the historic fabric of the building, undertaking minimum intervention only where desirable and essential, removing all insensitive accretions that had altered the cultural significance of the fabric, reviving the lost art of decorated ornamentation work, incorporating modern day needs and functions without compromising on the heritage character of the structure. The emphasis was on educating ordinary civil contractors to respect heritage properties and introduce the concept of skilled repairs.
The actual work done encompassed a complete replastering of loose plaster area externally, stitching of the cracks, recasting worn out slabs in RCC by retaining good steel joist. The rotted wooden posts and beams were repaired and re-strengthened and the worn out members replaced. Ornamental works like cornices, string courses, quoins, archivolts, decorative floral panels below the window sills were added back by reviving the traditional skills of the master mason. The openings were made by glazing, grill design and chajjas (weather shades). The sealed parapets of the verandahs were replaced with perforated teak balustrades. The teak louvres were reintroduced to allow breeze to enter the rooms. Internal replastering was done where essential, with a groove above the skirting to arrest rising damp.
Replacing the poor portions of floor slab with new time tested durable material, i.e., RCC slab; removing the floor tiles of common areas, where the slab was being recast and re-fixing new tiles that were uniform in pattern and complemented the building; providing completely new plumbing and drainage with new toilets for all tenants in Wadia building whereas for others only damaged pipes were replaced and redundant pipes removed, were among the measures carried out. So also complete roof repairs. Right from removal of tar felt, putting new wooden planks in gutter and applying lead flashing and new tar felt with double batten and relaying the tiles, complete external and internal painting was undertaken, including complete rewiring of the common electricals.
Conservation is a less travelled road in the city of Mumbai where redevelopment has become a craze. The project offers a simple and effective example of adhering to basic principles of conservation, i.e., minimum intervention, as a result of which precious resources are conserved, thereby giving a new lease of life to the fabric. Through refurbishment, the fragile century-old infrastructure is not burdened and the housing colony retains its social character – children play in the compound, the elders hang out in balconies and open spaces interacting with neighbours. In all ongoing redevelopment proposals there is no open space on the ground floor as this area is used only for parking cars. This project highlights Ruskin’s theory that, ‘We are just custodians of the heritage and our task is to pass this on to next generation.’
The project demonstrated to the government and policy makers that it only requires Rs 775/sq ft to conserve a relatively distressed building structurally and architecturally, whereas it would cost half that amount for buildings structurally not so distressed. In contrast, it would cost Rs 4500/sq ft for redevelopment; the present cess repairs that MHADA carries out amount to Rs 200/sq ft.
The way forward is to plan and integrate culture as a tool for urban development. This is possible if conservation of buildings, with incentives, is integrated into the development plan (DP) that is currently being prepared (2014-34). The JNNURM also address some of the issues like rent control reform, property taxes, among others, which are the key issues along with proper enforcement and implementation of the law. Some of these are highlighted below.
The development plan must acknowledge and integrate cultural resources, which has never happened. This is an ideal opportunity as the development plan is under preparation. Once conservation is integrated in the DP, heritage becomes an asset. For example, monuments, Grade I buildings with necessary protection to their setting, and so on, will help revive tourism and improve the image of the city. The existing and proposed heritage listing needs to be carefully reviewed, along with the need for balanced growth and conservation. The heritage properties and precincts should be mapped in the development plan with special by-laws that will help in preserving the cultural significance for which they are listed. Any large-scale development or redevelopment should follow good urban design guidelines that will also benefit the city. All reconstruction proposals should be discussed by placing the new development or building within a city model or by 3-D software as a part of the submission to the corporation. This will ensure that redevelopment is viewed comprehensively rather than as piecemeal, which is the current practice.
The original lease deeds are a useful tool; the inbuilt covenants of the deed will help in maintaining the properties. These should be checked and adhered to before granting permission for redevelopment. All free sops, like extra area for a minimum flat of 350 sq ft should be discouraged in case of development routed through developers since, in order to recover that additional cost, the saleable component increases and use of common amenities decreases, thereby affecting the quality of life. The government should modify the rules and not grant additional higher FSI for schools, hospital, and religious buildings that are heritage properties as it only hastens their demolition for redevelopment. No form of transferable development rights (TDR) can be loaded in heritage sites, precincts or in the buffer area so as to retain its ambience.
A wide range of incentives can be considered to encourage conservation and repairs:
* Encourage repairs and restoration of good building stock, i.e. modify rent control in heritage sites to start with, and commercial and residential properties subsequently.
* State governments should implement the model rent control act for residential premises (2010) enacted by the Union Ministry of Housing.
* The government should grant Repair TDR to all cessed and heritage properties as a major incentive, pending modification to the Rent Control Act.
* All tenants and landlords must give an undertaking that in lieu of such incentives, their buildings would be maintained for a minimum of 20 years.
* This TDR (less than 0.20) is marginal as compared to the TDR (of 4 or 5 ) given for reconstruction and can be used in situ as well. This will also ensure no increase in density nor will it overload the fragile infrastructure.
* Rebates or relaxed property taxes and discounted lease rents to be given to encourage conservation and increase such initiatives over redevelopment.
* Adaptive reuse, conversion, mixed use etc., should be encouraged in principle as it normally does not increase the density, nor does it load the fragile infrastructure.
* Quick permission should be given for repairs, reuse or refurbishment, and maintenance.
* Introduce a comparatively higher redevelopment cess for the redevelopment of all heritage sites where the funds would be used for conserving the neighbourhood and its infrastructure.
* Acknowledge and support the efforts of the owners who want to conserve. A sense of pride should be created for those who choose to conserve and repair their buildings as compared to those who prefer to demolish.
Some other steps that may be contemplated are the commissioning of studies to determine the impact of the prevailing by-laws on density, load on amenities or infrastructure and quality of life. Also, the incorporation of disaster management plans for all new development as well as for conservation of cultural sites.
Hopefully, this project, which was given the Unesco Asia Pacific Award of Distinction 2013, will help initiate other such restoration projects as also help modify the state government repair policy.
Our dear friend Sooni Taraporevala has been extremely busy over the last few months and the reason is for everyone to see.
Yeh Ballet, her latest project that she has directed shall “drop” on Netflix on February 21, 2020.
Discovered by an eccentric ballet master, two gifted but underprivileged Mumbai teens face bigotry and disapproval as they pursue their dancing dreams. Namesake,” “Little Zizou”) helms this drama inspired by real events. With Jim Sarbh.
More Details
Genres: Indian Movies, Hindi-Language Movies, Bollywood Movies, Dramas, International Dramas
Tomorrow 15th February is the baj of Manekji Limji Hataria, the Parsi missionary to Iran. A jashan will be performed at Wadiaji Atash Behram 1st floor hall in the morning at 10 a.m.
Below is an article penned by our dear friend and esteeem Parsi historian Marzban J. Giara.
MANEKJI LIMJI HATARIA (1813-1890)
He was sent as a Parsi missionary to Iran by the Persian Zoroastrian Amelioration Society of Bombay in 1854 to better the condition of the Iranian Zoroastrians. This great and brave man worked with amazing perseverance and courage and surmounted all difficulties by incessant and hard toil for nearly thirty years. He saved from extinction the Zoroastrian community in Iran. He strived for 30 years and gained his object by perseverance, wisdom, sympathy and sacrifice at the time when oppression had reduced their numbers to a paltry 7,000.
He was fluent in Persian language and made friends with the Shah of Iran and with the help of Sir Henry Rawlinson, the British ambassador to Teheran he had the hated Jaziya tax abolished which was imposed on the Zoroastrians for thirteen centuries. He repaired and rebuilt the Atash Behrams and dokhmas. He founded schools, orphanages and dharamshalas for poor Zoroastrians. He also acted as an agent for individual Parsi benefactors. By 1882 twelve boys’ schools had been established in Tehran, Kerman, Yezd and the surrounding villages. He also started schools for girls in Iran. He established funds for performing religious ceremonies such as navjotes, weddings, etc.
He was instrumental in getting rid of the practice of animal sacrifice among the Zoroastrians and introduced innocent religious ceremonies. When the poor Zoroastrians villagers used to come to Teheran from Yazd, they faced many hardships besides epidemics and famines which added to their misery. He appealed to the Parsi sethias of Bombay for help. When he did not receive any help, he gave his own one-storeyed house for use by these Zoroastrian villagers.
He wrote a book called ‘Fararistan’ in Persian under the penname of ‘Dervis-e-fani’. He also wrote ‘Rishal e Ezhare Shiate Iran’ an account of the journey to Iran. He wrote several poems. He passed away on February 15, 1890 at the age of 77. May his memory live long and continue to inspire similar enterprise and sacrifice in our youth.
His bronze bust is placed in the Yezd Atash Behram.
A commemorative jashan will be held at Wadiaji Atash Behram on his 125th death anniversary baj on Sunday 15th February 2015 at 10 a.m. in the first floor hall through Bombay Parsi Punchayet as arranged by the Zarthosti Brothers.
The John Long Ethics Award is awarded to Kainaz Amaria, an outstanding photojournalist turned editor, first on NPR’s Visual Team before becoming the visuals editor at Vox. This award recognizes an individual who has, through her efforts, upheld, shaped and promoted ethical behavior in all forms of visual journalism. Amaria’s career as a photographer speaks for itself, having held her own work to the highest ethical standards. And now she pays it forward by being a leading voice in the industry and framing the conversations of visual journalism through the lens of representation, always advocating for people to do more and do better, and calling out those who don’t.
As Visuals Editor, Kainaz runs an interdisciplinary team specializing in graphics, interactives, photography, data and design. Previously, she was an editor on NPR’s Visual Team. Before all the desk jobs, she was a freelance photojournalist based in Mumbai, India. Her clients included The New York Times, Vogue India, and Reuters. Prior to that, she worked for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. In 2010, she was a Fulbright Scholar and completed a short film on the Parsi Zoroastrian community in Mumbai. She hates sloths, but loves pizza and puns.
About the NPPA Awards
NPPA honors outstanding visual journalists, educators, First Amendment fighters
Since the inaugural Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award was given by the National Press Photographers Association in 1949, the organization has continued to recognize individuals for their special contributions to the NPPA and the wider field of visual journalism.
These awards represent NPPA’s efforts to honor those whose efforts make our profession stronger, build our communities and expand the reach of NPPA in its mission to promote visual journalism and journalists. They recognize individuals who contribute to the profession in a myriad of ways. They honor people who elevate photojournalism, photojournalists who have reached outstanding technical achievements, leaders who advance NPPA goals, people who fight for First Amendment freedoms, and educators who inspire.
NPPA’s immediate past president, Melissa Lyttle, served as the chair of the Honors & Recognition Committee, the group that puts out an annual call for nominations and determines each year’s honorees.
On a background of beautifully textured art glass, my creations are painstakingly hand painted and come ready to display with an aesthetically complementary frame. Popular themes include artistic representations of religious symbols such as the Zoroastrian Farohar and the Hindu God Ganesha, in addition to abstract renditions of elephants and other motifs I am inspired by. The dynamic interplay of opaque, translucent and vibrant colors makes these pieces perfect when juxtaposed against a backlit location, such as a window, lamp or votive. They can also be traditionally wall mounted to add a splash of color or auspiciously hung above an entryway.
Check out Binaifer’s creations on her Etsy page at:
A book launched in Calcutta on Tuesday speaks about “intrepid men who had left settled homes in the west to journey to Calcutta to start a new life” two centuries ago. It goes back to men “who made millions and lost it all and started again”.
Book on a community with 240-year-old history in Calcutta
Pioneering Parsis of Calcutta, written by Prochy N. Mehta, was launched at Olpadvala Memorial Hall in Chowringhee, the venue named after Edulji Olpadvala, one of the prominent Parsis of the 20th century, who died in penury in 1971.
(From left) Sam Balsara, Noshir Tankariwala, Bachi Karkaria, Aveek Sarkar and Prochy N Mehta after the launch of Prochy’s book, Pioneering Parsis of Calcutta, on Tuesday. Picture by Pradip Sanyal
Prochy, 66, has represented, to much acclaim, Bengal and India in hockey, basketball and a range of other sports. She is the first female president of Calcutta Parsee Club and her family runs one of the biggest outdoor advertising agencies in India.
The publisher’s note calls the book a “treasure trove” of Calcutta’s Parsi heritage. Private letters, newspaper clippings and cartoons highlight the mood of the times when Prochy’s characters were at play.
The first Parsi to have come to Calcutta, around 1767, was Dadabhai Behramji Banaji.
Parsis used to trade with Armenian brokers in Surat. “These Armenians came to Murshidabad and then Calcutta. It is possible that some Parsi traders may have accompanied these Armenians, first to Murshidabad and then Calcutta,” writes Prochy.
Despite a 240-year-old history, there is hardly any detailed documentation of the Parsi community in Calcutta. “Had it not been for Prochy, we would not have known about our past,” said the emcee at the start of the programme. The audience comprised many members of the Parsi community and several non-Parsis.
Aveek Sarkar, the vice-chairman and editor emeritus of the ABP Group, launched the book. He said: “I always thought that we Bengalis are very insular, very much immersed within ourselves. We do not know much about the other communities in Calcutta…. Then I was talking to Mrs Mehta (the author of the book). I was relieved to learn that even the Parsis know very little of themselves.”
An all-Parsi panel discussion followed the launch. Apart from the author, the panel had veteran journalist Bachi Karkaria and Noshir Tankariwala, senior trustee of the Parsi fire temple on Metcalfe Street. Veteran adman Sam Balsara, the chairman of Madison World, moderated the discussion.
Karkaria, who grew up in Calcutta, spoke of a “great commonality” between Bengalis and Parsis — “hypochondria”.
“You should not say ‘kamon achho’ unless you have an hour,” she said.
The book chronicles how early Parsis flourished in trade and commerce, often by risking their lives.
Among the first Parsi settlers in Calcutta (1780 onwards) was Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy. He made his fortune in opium trade with China but only after three failed trips.
“His first two trips to China resulted in heavy losses. On his third trip, the ship was waylaid by pirates and he was later released in South Africa. From there he managed to find his way back to Serampore, penniless and starving,” says the book.
The audience at the book launch on Tuesday. Picture by Pradip Sanyal
Prochy also goes back to “forward-looking men”, not afraid to go against social norms.
Rustomji Cowasi Banaji, one of the most prominent figures in the 19th century, was one. A friend of Dwarkanath Tagore, Banaji was the owner of Kidderpore and Salkia docks and a pioneer in banking, insurance and social service. He was also the first Parsi to bring his family — women and children — to Calcutta, unheard of in the early 19th century.
“In 1838, Rustomji brought his entire family to Calcutta by sea. This extraordinary event was widely reported in the newspapers,” writes Prochy. A part of a report on the journey, published in the Bombay Gazette on July 16, 1838, has been reproduced in the book.
“He (Rustomji) provided every opportunity to the women of his family to relinquish the purdah…” Prochy writes in the book.
Pioneering Parsis of Calcutta, she told The Telegraph, “is an offshoot of a three-year research”, which stemmed from a desire that her daughter’s children would not be treated differently than the children of her son.
Prochy is fighting a legal battle for her granddaughter’s right to enter the fire temple. Her daughter is married to a non-Parsi.
“All journeys have a beginning; a moment at which a decision is made or a first step taken. For me that moment came when my granddaughter… was refused permission to enter our place of worship on the premise that she was not a Parsi. All personal feelings aside, I felt that that could not be the stance that a progressive faith… should adopt…. But change requires knowledge and proof, and reasonable basis for an argument. So, to do that, I turned to research,” she writes in the preface.
The research was “illuminating”. She realised that “Parsis of old were much more forward-looking”.
Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Manchester for his contribution to innovation and philanthropy.
The UK university said the award was presented to the 82-year-old industrialist in Mumbai recently during the India tour of President and Vice Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell.
“Ratan is inspirational. For him, philanthropy and innovation are spokes of the same wheel, each leading towards the improvement of lives which is the very same ethos we share at the University of Manchester,” Rothwell said.
“He is an example to big business, small enterprise, to researchers and developers, those who give and those who can give more. We believe that he will be an example to our students as they grow to become global citizens,” she said.
The university’s citation notes that under Tata’s leadership, from 1991 to 2012, the group became a global name and one of the largest conglomerates in the world, with the acquisition of major international brands such as Tetley, Daewoo, Corus, Jaguar and Land Rover.
“Ratan has equally made a deep impact in philanthropy through the Tata Trusts, which he chairs. Under his guidance, the different Trusts, set up over time by Tata family members since 1892, have come together as a unified operating entity to target their talent and resources to pursue important causes that are good for India.
“Some of the most important causes Ratan has championed are nutrition, sanitation, cancer care, rural poverty alleviation, and social entrepreneurship,” notes the citation.
The varsity said that the honorary doctorate recognised his sense of social responsibility and philanthropy.
“Social Responsibility is one of Manchester’s three core strategic goals sitting equally alongside our commitments to world-class research, and outstanding learning and student experience,” it said.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu releases commemorative postal stamp and coffee table book to commemorate 100 years of Jamshedpur
Applauds Tata group`s ethical approach to business
Jamshedpur, Feb 17: M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, released the commemorative postal stamp, coffee table book at Tata Auditorium -XLRI today. He was the Chief Guest of the Commemorative Function of 100 Years of Jamshedpur and was accompanied by Droupadi Murmu, Governor of Jharkhand; Champai Soren, Minister of Welfare, Government of Jharkhand and Anil Kumar, Chief Post Master General, Jharkhand.
Addressing the gathering at Tata Auditorium – XLRI, the Hon’ble Vice President of India applauded the Tata group for its ethical approach to business and commended Tata Steel for its contribution towards improving the quality of life of the community for over 100 years. He described Jamshedpur as India’s first planned industrial city that had earned the distinction of becoming the country’s role model for sustainable urban and industrial development.
He dwelt at length on the priorities of the government and outlined the investment opportunities that can contribute to the economic growth of the country. He said that the development of a sustainable strategy is increasingly becoming an imperative for companies’ survival and longevity and Jamshedpur is a glowing example of sustainable development.
In her address, Droupadi Murmu, Governor of Jharkhand said that over the last 100 years, Jamshedpur had transformed itself to become the most populous and economically-prosperous city of Jharkhand. She stressed upon the imperatives to preserve and protect the State’s rich tribal culture and heritage. “Tribal folk and dance forms such as Jhumar, Chhau, Mundari and Santhali must not just be preserved but also nurtured. Focus should also be laid on the preservation of tribal languages, practices and social ethos,” she said.
TV Narendran, CEO & Managing Director of Tata Steel, recalled that, in the year 1919, the then Governor General of India, Lord Chelmsford, had rechristened Sakchi as Jamshedpur in honour of its Founder, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata. He thanked the Government of India for releasing a commemorative postal stamp to mark the centenary of the naming of the city.
Earlier in the day, Vice President of India visited the Centre for Excellence (CFE), where he and Hon’ble Governor of Jharkhand planted banyan tree saplings. They were facilitated through a walkthrough exhibition on the 100-year journey of Tata Worker’s Union (TWU) by R Ravi Prasad, President TWU. Committee Members of TWU were also present on the occasion and introduced to the Vice president of India. TWU is the first union in the country to complete 100 years having been built on the fundamental principle and spirit of “working together”.
Vice President of India and Governor of Jharkhand were also shown the Tata Steel Archives at CFE where the Tata Steel story was shared with them. Tata Steel Archives is the first Business Archives in the country.
Among those present at CFE from Tata Steel were Suresh Dutt Tripathi, Vice President (Human Resource Management), Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President (Corporate Services) and other officers from the leadership team of Corporate Services.
Members of Parsi community in Lucknow on Monday urged the administration to free their properties of encroachments and help in its preservation.
Speaking at the book launch of ‘Bharat Ka Parsi Samaj’ by Dr Naresh Singh, president of Avadh Girls’ Degree College, Zarine Viccajee, whose family was one of the first settlers from the community in Lucknow, said: “Parsis have contributed to the country’s development and continues to do so in different fields. But the community’s strength is dwindling. Today, 40 Parsi families reside in the city as compared to 300 earlier.”
“Be it Lucknow or Delhi, we mingled with people wherever we settled. At a time when only limited number of Parsis are there to keep their heritage and culture alive in Lucknow, a few places like 73-year-old Parsi Anjuman and the graveyard need to be preserved,” she said.
“In our religion, we let the bodies of the dead decompose naturally. This is why Mumbai has the ‘Tower of Silence’. Lucknow has no such place, therefore, we go for burial,” Viccajee added.
Highlighting the history of the community, president of Lucknow Parsi Community Homi Sipai said it was Nauroji Damkewala, a trader of silk and pearls from Gujarat, who first settled in Lucknow during the times of third king of Awadh Mohammad Ali Shah.
“Gradually, a number of families started settling in the city. Most of the families stayed in the compound of Parsi Anjuman. We made Lucknow our home and embraced the city’s lifestyle,” he said. The members also expressed concern over the fact that their festivals, Navroz and Khordad Sal, were not declared public holidays.
Last weekend the Empowering Mobeds hosted an offsite workshop at the WZO Sanatorium in Sanjan. Over two days, young mobeds from the Dadar Athornan Institute gathered along with some of their dads, and other older mobeds, and community experts in various fields for a two day exercise.
Dinshaw Tamboly giving a motivational talk to the Young Mobeds after some fun ice breakers
Ervad Meher Modi sharing his insights on the role played by parents to encourage Mobedi
Kashmira Kakalia , all smiles while leading a session on the power of gratitude and positive thinking
Young Sharukh Karkaria participating in the interactive session
What was different in this second offsite was that there were double the volume of participants with the inclusion of senior Madressa students.
A special feature was the witnessing of endearing moments of fathers passing on the baton to their sons. Likewise, the kids honouring their dads as role models in the communication skills workshop.
Cheers to father son bonding. Double cheers to our present and future mobeds
A fit Mobed would lead the community better. This is how Day 2 started for us today – fitness session led by Er Farzad Driver
Our dear friend Ervad Sheherazad Pavri writes on his social media profile….
“As a fun weekend comes to an end, I am thankful to everyone who attended the offsite training with us at Empowering Mobeds. With topics ranging from Communication skills, positive thinking, etiquette as well as a morning fitness session , all coupled with some lipsmacking food, the young boys of the Dadar Athornan Institute had a good time. The hospitality at the WZO Sanjan Sanatorium is super; shout out to the Tavadia family for hosting us so well. Thanks to Binaifer SahukarKashmira KakaliaDinshaw TambolyDelphi WadiaFarzad Aspi Driver Hormuz Dadachanji Kaizad KarkariaFirdaus Rohinton PavriSarosh KamdinKhushroo Makihatana Cyrus Darbari, Meher Modi ,Gustasp Vimadalal and Niloofer Broacha.
Great job team”
Here is a report in the Mid-Day on the event…
We must transform Mobeds into leaders, boost their numbers’
Priesthood in the Zorastrian community is a hereditary role. While traditionally men serve as priests, there are a few exceptions where women have served in the role
Nearly 30 members of the Parsi community attended a weekend workshop for Mobeds — Zorastrian priests — in Sanjan, Gujarat to develop ties among themselves and promote priesthood. Six parent-child duos also participated to enrich their bonds.
Priesthood in the Zorastrian community is a hereditary role. While traditionally men serve as priests, there are a few exceptions where women have served in the role.
The workshop focussed on young Mobeds aged between 13 and 16 years bonding with their parents who are serving as priests. Activities for communication skills, positive training sessions, and simulation exercises were held.
“It was wonderful to see the baton being passed on,” said Binaifer Sahukar, convenor of Empowering Mobeds, the platform that conducted the workshop. “The fathers were talking to the children about their work life, its importance, challenges they face.” A mother-son duo was also present at the workshop.
Sahukar emphasised on parent-child bonding as it ensures the survival of Mobeds. “There are 50 agiaries in the city and four Atash Behrams,” she said. “Given the declining number of Parsi priests, we have to try and retain the few children pursuing priesthood. The best way to do so is by monetising the profession. There has to be some incentive. Our senior priests are overburdened and are like doctors on call — running from one fire to another.”
Sahukar added that the community has to support and effect this change by being more respectful and generous towards priests. “The objective of empowering Mobeds is to elevate their position to that of leaders.”
Our dear friend and eminent Parsi historian and author Marzban Giara sends us the following update
Watch the 80 years young Marazban Eruchshah Wadia sing and dance to some of the songs composed by him. He is the President of Davier anjuman. Davier has a dadgah fire and a dharamshala. The first song is Haalo, haalo Davier Gam jaiye. Marazban is a behdin pasban and has served at various dadgah fires. He still plays cricket and takes part in the 5 mile Mumbai Marathon for senior citizens every year. He has in 2008 recorded a music album O Mazdayasni Baste kustiano The next song is Udwada gaamno mahima gavaay Son of a poor Parsi farmer who had six sons and four daughters. His family members live in Umbargaon since 1867.
He entertained us at WZO Senior Citizens Centre at Navsari on Saturday 8th February 2020 for an hour.
In the last video Bapsy Marzban Giara sings the late Ervad Adi Mirza’s song Satyano sacho raah batave enu naam te bawaji
Our dear friend and eminent Parsi historian Marzban Giara writes…
Lord Chelmsford the Viceroy of India visited the Tata Steel plant in 1919 after the First World War. Sakchi Village in Bihar was named Jamshedpur in memory of its enterprising and foresighted founder Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata and the Kalimati railway station as Tatanagar.
During the First World War M/s Tata Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. provided the Government three lakh tons of iron and benefitted the Indian Treasury by Rs.6 crores.
A living example of a great enterprise and valuable services rendered by the adventurous sons of the late seth Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata which will be remembered in Parsi history. These steel factories rendered very valuable services in providing cannonballs. Hence by renaming Sakchi as Jamshedpur, an adventurous Parsi leader’s name has been recorded in India’s geography. Lord Chelmsford, the Honourable Viceroy expressed his thoughts about the services rendered by Tata Co. as under:
“We could hardly imagine what we could have done to win the War had Tata Iron & Steel not provided steel rail tracks not only for Mesopotamia but also for Egypt, Palestine and East Africa during the four years of the War.”
(Source: The Contribution of the Parsi Community during the First World War (1914-1918) page 75 and 76 by Marzban Jmashedji Giara published in 2016. Kaiser-E- Hind Parsi War Memorial Album Bombay 1920)
A coming-of-age film about two male ballet dancers, Sooni Taraporevala was so inspired by these boys that she told their story twice
Take a closer look at the films that have dominated box offices in recent times, and you’ll spot class struggle being a common theme. Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite (2019) took home four awards at the 2020 Oscars, and Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (2019) was much lauded by critics and audiences alike. Following along the same vein, filmmaker Sooni Taraporevala is now bringing yet another story about class disparity right to your smartphones with her Netflix debut, Yeh Ballet.
Like Gully Boy, this film explores the passion and creativity that’s hidden in the matchbox houses peppering Mumbai’s streets. A fictional version of Taraporevala’s 2017 documentary by the same name, Yeh Ballet tells the story of two young boys from lower-income families, Manish Chauhan and Amiruddin Shah, portrayed in the film through the characters of Nishu and Asif, respectively. The boys fight classist and religious barriers to make their way into a world you’d never have associated with theirs—the elitist world of ballet. Directed by Taraporevala and produced by Roy Kapur Films, the two-hour feature sees Chauhan playing the character of Nishu, the son of a taxi driver who is reprimanded by his family for his choice of profession. The character is inspired by Chauhan himself, since he went through a similar journey in his own life. The second protagonist in the story is a rebellious teenager character of Asif, who loves hip hop dance and loitering around with his crew. Played by Achintya Bose, this character is inspired by the story of Amiruddin Shah. Asif and Nishu’s destinies collide when they begin training under an Israeli-American ballet teacher, Saul Aaron. This character is based on ballet tutor, Yehuda Maor, who identified and materialised Chauhan and Shah’s potential in real life.
Having learnt ballet herself in her early years, Taraporevala was amazed when she first heard about these two boys. “I had tears in my eyes when I first saw these boys in Saint Stanislaus School. I was so thrilled that two boys who came out of nowhere were dancing so well. Despite having learned for so many years with every privilege, from ballet shoes and clothes, these kids were way better than we could ever have been. And that realisation just took my breath away,” said Taraporevala, who had been on a decade-long hiatus after her 2009 film, Little Zouzou.
Talking about his motivation for taking on the project, producer Siddharth Roy Kapur highlighted his appreciation for all the critical issues the film addresses—gender stereotypes around a supposedly feminine dance form, and the elitist persona traditionally ascribed to ballet—but there’s one theme that outdid the rest for him. “At the end of the day, it’s just about telling a story of hope and of aspiration. As Sooni often says, talent is so plentiful in our country and can be found everywhere and anywhere. The fact that these boys came from the background that they did, and were able to go out there into the world and perform a dance form that’s considered to be elitist, at least in India, is a tremendous testament to the fact that talent has no boundaries.”
Taraporevala also opened up about how she struggled to get eyeballs for Little Zizou 12 years ago. Kapur had faced similar battles with theatrical distribution for niche films during his time with UTV Motion Pictures and Spotboy. Which is why, having a global platform like Netflix, which boasts an audience of half a billion people across 190 countries across the world, for Yeh Ballet was promising. “What’s happened in the last few years is that the barriers to something being theatrical have actually increased. You need to either be a certain scale in terms of spectacle, have big stars involved or have a high enough concept. Platforms like Netflix give you a chance to tell stories that don’t necessarily have big stars in them, but are equally entertaining and engaging,” Roy Kapur explained.
For Chauhan, the most profound moment in the film was when—spoiler alert—Nishu’s parents finally accepted his life choices, having witnessed a ballet performance that he put forth for a group of patients in a hospital. “Though not in a hospital, that scene actually happened. My dad hugged me and told me to pursue my dreams, adding that he’d even take a loan for my education if needed,” he revealed.
