Tragedy in Bangalore

Whilst getting up after completing the afringan prayers for his late wife Katy, 86-year-old Ervad Jamshed Pestonji Unvalla’s jamo (priestly robe) accidentally touched the divo (lamp) beside him and immediately caught fire. Within seconds, the Bangalore priest, younger brother of the late Dastur Nadirshah Unvalla, was engulfed in flames on April 2, 2009 and suffered over 70 percent burn injuries before the fire could be doused. He was rushed to the Jain Hospital but succumbed to his injuries within 24 hours, Parsiana was informed by his nephew Ervad Yezdi Unvalla. Nadirshah too had suffered massive burns at the Agiary in November 2004 but had fortunately recovered after months in hospital.

Ervad Jamshed Unvalla: "total dedication”

Ironically, the trustees of the Bangalore Parsee Zoroastrian Anjuman were due to felicitate their former trustee and honorary treasurer with a purse and a shawl for his long years of faithful service to the Agiary at a special luncheon function on April 5, the day he was due to officially retire. Offering his voluntary service to the Agiary in Bangalore, Ervad Jamshed would join the mobeds in the performance of daily rituals and ceremonies as also navjotes and weddings.

Keen to make a pilgrimage to Iran this May, the last words he reportedly uttered to the doctor in the Intensive Care Unit were to request the tour organizers to postpone the trip by two weeks so that he could join them. Unaware of the severity of his injuries he was hoping to recover by then.

Known to have "total dedication and unfailing loyalty to our community and institutions,” Yezdi wrote of his uncle, "He always received everyone who approached him with equal warmth and friendship and his trademark smile. He was known as Gentleman Jim to his friends and JP to his colleagues.” During his 38 years of service with the Central Bank starting as clerk and retiring as general manager he always availed of his annual leave during the muktad days so that he could assist Nadirshah in the Agiary. In fact, for some years, he refused promotions so that he could remain in Bangalore in the service of his religion. But when given the option of resigning or accepting a transfer during the Emergency, he chose to continue with his career, accepting postings in Hyderabad and Bombay. Thereafter he was specially sent to Philippines for training with Mastercard which had tied up with Central Bank for issue of Centralcard. On retiring from Central Bank he joined Vysya Bank as consultant to help them set up the Vysyabank Card.

The youngest son of Ervad Pestonji and Meherbanoo’s eight children, Jamshed was born in Sakkar, Sindh Province, and had studied at the Bishop Cotton Boys High School and St Joseph’s College, Bangalore. He is survived by his children Aspy, Mehroo and Cyrus, and sisters Nergis Adi Unvalla and Banoo Dhunji Sidhwa.

Parinaz M. Gandhi