Centenarian Kanga

Bachamai Bapuji Kanga, who passed away in Ahmedabad on January 1, 2009, at the age of 103 was the daughter of Shirinbai and the illustrious Shams-ul-Ulama Ervad (Dr) Jivanji Jamshedji Modi. Bachamai, the youngest of their 11 children, lived in Ahmedabad for nearly 50 years. She had studied at Girton High School, Grant Road, Bombay up to standard VII and used to attend school wearing a sari, traveling by train from Colaba (which was the last railway station at that time) to Grant Road.

After her father, who was the panthaky of the Seth Jejeebhoy Dadabhoy Agiary at Colaba, gave up the post, they vacated the house and lived in rented houses, but always in the Colaba area. Later on, for whatever reason, the management of the Colaba agiary arranged for them to live again in the old agiary house.

In 1932 Bachamai married Bapuji Kanga who was then working with Bombay Phono Agency but later started his own shop, Paramount Radios. Business not being very good, the family moved to Navsari and lived in the ancestral house from 1947 to 1958. Bapuji’s brother who was the manager of Sorab Baug took care of the needs of the family but Bapuji, after trying his hand at a few odd jobs, returned to Bombay to earn a living, leaving behind the family whom he visited every week-end.

Bachamai Kanga flanked by son Navroze and daughter-in-law Shirin

By 1958 the eldest daughter Mehroo was married and, as both father and son Navroze were working in Bombay, Bachamai and younger daughter Arnavaz shifted back to Bombay. Fortunately, part of the house at Grant Road had been retained, and the tenants, the Kadodwalas, graciously vacated in 1963 when son Navroze was to get married. The youngest daughter Arnavaz got married in 1967. In May 1970, Bapuji, Bachamai, Navroze and daughter-in-law Shirin shifted to Ahmedabad, where Navroze was posted in Voltas. With their genial nature Navroze and Shirin have built up a wide circle of friends. Bapuji passed away in February 1993 in Ahmedabad.

RASHID S. MEDORA

Ahmedabad

rashid@medoraindia.com