Editorial Viewpoint
A whole new world
One had to maneuver over the scattered stones from the broken sea barriers on Udvada beach to reach the two Parsi gentlemen seated on some concrete slabs. As the sun set at the end of a hot day, they chatted amicably about life in this idyllic village seaside resort and pilgrimage center.
Maneck Spencer from Bombay recalled how after his retirement he had wanted to settle in Poona but found the flats too expensive. Sixty to 70 lakh rupees was the asking price, something way beyond his budget. So he opted for Udvada where flats were available for around five to seven lakhs. His friend Cyrus Tampal runs the Ratansha Katila House termed the WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) Stopover near the Iranshah fire temple where for a very nominal amount Zoroastrian pilgrims can rest for a few hours or spend a night or two.
Udvada is a nice retreat to retire they said but there is no center to congregate in the evenings. The local anjuman looked after the interests of the priests; an anjuman for behdins if it existed was obviously not doing enough. Should the social aspect be looked after the quality of life in this south Gujarat village with a population of around 5,500 would greatly improve.
People from Bombay and elsewhere had bought flats in Udvada but have not settled there. They pointed to a high-rise apartment building that stood on the seashore and noted that not a single light was on even though it was twilight. A thick solid wall on the periphery of the building kept the waves at bay when on occasion the water stormed the beach. Three or four times in the year the sea waters may transgress on part of the village closest to the beach, he notes. Maybe for a weekend or two in a year the apartment owners descend to partake of the sea breeze, the awe inspiring view and to imbibe some spirituality.
For most Zoroastrians Udvada is a one-day or at most an overnight trip to pray at the Iranshah, the most sacred fire for Parsis/Iranis. Here they hope to wash away the sins accumulated over the year, offer thanks for any bounties received, ask for favors or perhaps just seek peace of mind. For some it is a relatively inexpensive holiday destination. During the May school and college summer vacations the hotels are full.
But Udvada and the road that leads to it from Bombay is also a place for budding Parsi/Irani enterprise. A few years ago Hotel Ashishvangh opened in Udvada followed this year by Hotel Aatash. Aatash’s two owners Manek Tadiwala and Rohinton Irani joined hands to construct the ten-room establishment above a bakery started by Irani a few years ago.
Tadiwala is in the process of constructing two buildings less than 100 meters from the Iranshah on a plot once owned by the Unvalla family formerly of Udvada and now Bangalore. He is selling the flats at an affordable range from around Rs 6,60,000 for 478 sq ft super builtup to Rs10,15,000 for 744 sq ft inclusive of all costs and is also willing to assure a minimum monthly return of around Rs 4,500 if he is allowed to offer the flats to visiting pilgrims over weekends and other times. The flat owners can of course use their homes whenever they desire. Close by, a bungalow with a spacious garden was recently sold to a Parsi. Tadiwala’s wife, Ketayun, and son, Eric, run the Seth S. J. Sodawaterwalla Dharamshala close by which is owned by the Shri Udwada Nine Families Athornan Anjuman. Funds are being sought to repair and upgrade the structure while maintaining its heritage status. Eric is a wildlife enthusiast and when asked if he would prefer to reside in a city, he vigorously shakes his head to indicate a “no.” Now the question is of finding the eligible young man a spouse who shares his fondness for semi-urban life.
It won’t be easy. Zubina Sidhwa (née Bhumgara), originally from Nagpur is married into the family that runs the long standing Globe Hotel. She misses her former home town and city life. If young Tadiwala is to marry within the community, his bride-to-be will also have to share his love of the outdoors and village life.
But “the gap between the profiles of consumers in metro cities and smaller towns is fast diminishing,” states Anita Gupta, senior vice president and managing partner of the advertising agency JWT Madras in Campaign India (September 11, 2009). “Both groups have access to mobile phones, computers, television sets and satellite television leading to converging mindsets towards life and lifestyle. (Bollywood actress) Bipasha Basu is as much an urban phenomenon as she is vivid in the small town imagination.”
Perhaps this telecommunication revolution is what permits and even drives Parsis/Iranis to venture out of the cities. En route to Udvada in Talasari one comes across the Parsi da Dhaba eatery started earlier this year by Urvaksh Hoyvoy of the Parsi Dairy family fame. The existing eatery named Dairyland started by his father serves vegetarian fare. The new restaurant serves non-vegetarian meals.
Also on the way are hotels Ahura and Atithi both run by Zoroastrians. All these entrepreneurs shatter the myth that Parsis/Iranis congregate only in the urban areas and have lost their enterprising spirit.
To start new establishments in cities like Bombay is beyond the scope of most businesspeople with limited resources. But venture out and the world could be your oyster. Instead of commuting for hours in crowded trains or roads jammed with traffic breathing polluted air by the lungful, heading northwards 100 kilometers or more could vastly enhance the quality of your life.
As Tadiwala points out, Udvada has the attraction of the Iranshah which he visits daily and a 10-acre sylvan plot where the dakhma stands. Plus one has the beach and ocean at a stone’s throw. With affordable housing one need not have to queue for endless hours, days, years or even decades at the doors of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, fervently pleading and even groveling for a flat. If the Parsis of old came to Bombay in search of fame and fortune, it may now be time to reverse the trend in search of greener pastures.
Maneck Spencer from Bombay recalled how after his retirement he had wanted to settle in Poona but found the flats too expensive. Sixty to 70 lakh rupees was the asking price, something way beyond his budget. So he opted for Udvada where flats were available for around five to seven lakhs. His friend Cyrus Tampal runs the Ratansha Katila House termed the WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) Stopover near the Iranshah fire temple where for a very nominal amount Zoroastrian pilgrims can rest for a few hours or spend a night or two.
Udvada is a nice retreat to retire they said but there is no center to congregate in the evenings. The local anjuman looked after the interests of the priests; an anjuman for behdins if it existed was obviously not doing enough. Should the social aspect be looked after the quality of life in this south Gujarat village with a population of around 5,500 would greatly improve.
People from Bombay and elsewhere had bought flats in Udvada but have not settled there. They pointed to a high-rise apartment building that stood on the seashore and noted that not a single light was on even though it was twilight. A thick solid wall on the periphery of the building kept the waves at bay when on occasion the water stormed the beach. Three or four times in the year the sea waters may transgress on part of the village closest to the beach, he notes. Maybe for a weekend or two in a year the apartment owners descend to partake of the sea breeze, the awe inspiring view and to imbibe some spirituality.
For most Zoroastrians Udvada is a one-day or at most an overnight trip to pray at the Iranshah, the most sacred fire for Parsis/Iranis. Here they hope to wash away the sins accumulated over the year, offer thanks for any bounties received, ask for favors or perhaps just seek peace of mind. For some it is a relatively inexpensive holiday destination. During the May school and college summer vacations the hotels are full.
But Udvada and the road that leads to it from Bombay is also a place for budding Parsi/Irani enterprise. A few years ago Hotel Ashishvangh opened in Udvada followed this year by Hotel Aatash. Aatash’s two owners Manek Tadiwala and Rohinton Irani joined hands to construct the ten-room establishment above a bakery started by Irani a few years ago.
Tadiwala is in the process of constructing two buildings less than 100 meters from the Iranshah on a plot once owned by the Unvalla family formerly of Udvada and now Bangalore. He is selling the flats at an affordable range from around Rs 6,60,000 for 478 sq ft super builtup to Rs10,15,000 for 744 sq ft inclusive of all costs and is also willing to assure a minimum monthly return of around Rs 4,500 if he is allowed to offer the flats to visiting pilgrims over weekends and other times. The flat owners can of course use their homes whenever they desire. Close by, a bungalow with a spacious garden was recently sold to a Parsi. Tadiwala’s wife, Ketayun, and son, Eric, run the Seth S. J. Sodawaterwalla Dharamshala close by which is owned by the Shri Udwada Nine Families Athornan Anjuman. Funds are being sought to repair and upgrade the structure while maintaining its heritage status. Eric is a wildlife enthusiast and when asked if he would prefer to reside in a city, he vigorously shakes his head to indicate a “no.” Now the question is of finding the eligible young man a spouse who shares his fondness for semi-urban life.
It won’t be easy. Zubina Sidhwa (née Bhumgara), originally from Nagpur is married into the family that runs the long standing Globe Hotel. She misses her former home town and city life. If young Tadiwala is to marry within the community, his bride-to-be will also have to share his love of the outdoors and village life.
But “the gap between the profiles of consumers in metro cities and smaller towns is fast diminishing,” states Anita Gupta, senior vice president and managing partner of the advertising agency JWT Madras in Campaign India (September 11, 2009). “Both groups have access to mobile phones, computers, television sets and satellite television leading to converging mindsets towards life and lifestyle. (Bollywood actress) Bipasha Basu is as much an urban phenomenon as she is vivid in the small town imagination.”
Perhaps this telecommunication revolution is what permits and even drives Parsis/Iranis to venture out of the cities. En route to Udvada in Talasari one comes across the Parsi da Dhaba eatery started earlier this year by Urvaksh Hoyvoy of the Parsi Dairy family fame. The existing eatery named Dairyland started by his father serves vegetarian fare. The new restaurant serves non-vegetarian meals.
Also on the way are hotels Ahura and Atithi both run by Zoroastrians. All these entrepreneurs shatter the myth that Parsis/Iranis congregate only in the urban areas and have lost their enterprising spirit.
To start new establishments in cities like Bombay is beyond the scope of most businesspeople with limited resources. But venture out and the world could be your oyster. Instead of commuting for hours in crowded trains or roads jammed with traffic breathing polluted air by the lungful, heading northwards 100 kilometers or more could vastly enhance the quality of your life.
As Tadiwala points out, Udvada has the attraction of the Iranshah which he visits daily and a 10-acre sylvan plot where the dakhma stands. Plus one has the beach and ocean at a stone’s throw. With affordable housing one need not have to queue for endless hours, days, years or even decades at the doors of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, fervently pleading and even groveling for a flat. If the Parsis of old came to Bombay in search of fame and fortune, it may now be time to reverse the trend in search of greener pastures.
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