Nilgiri Parsi Anjuman

The first Parsi settlers are believed to have arrived in the Nilgiri Hills of South India around 1830. This is about 10 years after John Sullivan, the Collector of Coimbatore came up to the Nilgiris in 1823 and officially integrated the area with Coimbatore district. He built the first residence in Ootacamund, known as Connemara Cottage.

The first Parsis were businessmen, comprising the family of Sir Battliwalla from Bombay. The next one to arrive was Burjorjee Dadabhai Billimoria. Pestonjee Nusserwanjee Bottlewalla had a "Europe Shop,” a general provision store where he stocked almost everything required by the early British residents as well as the small military detachment stationed in the Hills. The business was run under the name of Framjee and Company. Parsis also owned several residential houses and tea and coffee plantations in later years.

Bottlewalla, aware of the needs of the small community in Ootacamund generously donated a piece of land, about three acres and 18 cents, for a cemetery where Parsis could be buried. He also provided an area where buildings could be built for religious purposes and ceremonies of the community.

The first Zoroastrian to be buried in the graveyard was one Mr Irani as early as 1847. Subsequently, many Zoroastrians were buried there, including a large member of persons whose bodies were brought in from neighboring areas where no burial facilities existed.

The first trustees of the burial ground property after it was officially registered and conveyed to the Anjuman from the estate of Bottlewalla, who died in Mysore in 1881, were Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Baronet, Bombay, Lt Col Dhanjibhoy Burjorjee Spencer, Indian Medical Service (IMS), Seth Nusserwanjee Franjee Kianny and Seth Hormusjee Nowrojee Hazary.

The land was registered at the office of the Registrar of the Nilgiris at Ootaca-mund on April 5, 1906. Another trustee who came on the board was Seth Kamajee Rustomjee Kama. The stamp fee for registering the property was done on a paper costing Rs 2,500.

Seth Phiroze Muncherjee Clubwalla, an eminent businessman of Madras and a great philanthropist had donated land and built an agiary and burial ground for the Parsis of Madras. In memory of his young son Jal, who was 14 years old when he died in 1906, Clubwalla offered to build a hall at the burial ground in Ootacamund. The Jal Phiroze Hall for the Parsi community of the Nilgiris was declared open in February 1907.

Many Parsis are buried in the cemetery at Ooty, among them several infants and most members of the families of the early settlers as well as several military men. The body of Lt Col Hormusjee Meherwanjee Hakim, IMS was brought to Ooty for burial on a gun carriage from faraway Tanjore in 1906. Clubwalla’s remains also rest in this cemetery. The latest dignitary to be buried here is Field Marshal Sam Manek-shaw who was laid to rest next to his wife Silloo’s grave.

The Parsi community of the Nilgiris is very small in number and most of the resident members are over the age of 60. The community meets twice a year to celebrate Jamshedi Navroz and the New Year. Members of the community meet when one or two jashans are performed during the year and when the annual general meeting of the Anjuman is held. A number of Parsis who come to the Nilgiris for a holiday visit the Jal Phiroze Hall and Cemetery. The membership fees received from members of the community look after the day-to-day expenses of the maintenance of the property including the salaries of the caretaker and gardener.

HOMI DHANJEEBHOY

Ooty, Nilgiris