Nowrojee Pestonjee Vakeel

In "A Hundred Years Ago” appearing in The Times of India (courtesy Faredoon E. Lalkaka), it is quoted from their Friday, March 9, 1888 issue that in Ahme­dabad on March 8, 1888:

"A Durbar was held this afternoon at Hathising’s Garden for the purpose of presenting the Sanad of the title of ‘Khan Bahadur’ to Nowrojee Pestonjee Vakeel. Mr Reid, our popular collector, presided and the Durbar was largely attended by European and native ladies and gentlemen. The building was tastefully decorated and a band and guard of honor were in attendance. Reid, in alluding to Nowrojee’s career, said that at the age of 18 he was engaged in carrying out extensive railway and public works and did so successfully. In these days when people thought that without University education one could not get on, Nowrojee’s example showed that without this advantage men could by their ability and force of character attain a position at once honorable and distinguished. There was much in Nowrojee’s life which might advantageously be copied by the young men of these days. His services to the Baroda Railway, rendered over a long period, had not only been valuable in the relation of a contractor to the company, but had been on many occasions of an exceptional character, he having greatly interested himself in promoting the extension of the company’s sphere of operations in a very intelligent and useful degree. His energy and enterprise in the execution of extensive public works had been acknowledged by the Secretary of State, and commended by the Government of Bombay on several occasions.”

RASHID S. MEDORA

Ahmedabad