Upbeat on Udvada

From driving an auto rickshaw in Navsari, to contemplating migrating to Australia, high school dropout Manek Tadiwala found his niche in Udvada. The congenial 52-year-old hotelier, property developer and caterer’s dreams are turning to realty.

His Iranshah Apartments project, a stone’s throw from the revered Iranshah Atash Behram, is nearing completion with most of the one, two and three bedroom flats sold out and a few studio apartments left for sale. Buyers hail from as far afield as Canada and Dubai, notes Tadiwala with one party from Poona buying both a three and a two-bedroom apartment and joining the two. Do they plan to reside in Udvada, we ask? "No. They will come once or twice a year,” replies the developer. The two buildings with 68 flats have a "Parsis only” clause and can be resold only to a Parsi, says Tadiwala. If there are no buyers, "we will buy,” he adds.

Tadiwala is raising Rs 3.20 lakhs to pave the path from the Pundole adarian, past his apartment block all the way to the Iranshah fire temple with white and red cement blocks. The Globe Hotel owners and others have offered to contribute toward the expenses and the work is already underway, he adds. The paving is to be completed by Christmas to coincide with the navjote of Shanaya, the Udvada High Priest Dastur Khurshed Dastoor’s daughter.

Hotel Aatash (aatash_2009 @yahoo. in) which he started in partnership with Rohinton Irani in February 2009 is doing well, says Tadiwala. Irani had started a bakery in 2004 and the duo decided to build a 10-room hotel above it utilizing the available FSI (floor space index). The Hotel charges Rs 900 for a non air-conditioned room on the second floor with meals and Rs 1,200 for an air-conditioned room on the third floor, with food. A dining cum banquet hall is on the top floor with a view of the beach and the surrounding structures.

His wife, Ketayun, and son, Eric, run the Seth S. J. Sodawaterwalla Dharam­shala owned by the Shri Udvada Nine Families Athornan Anjuman. Plans are afoot to repair and restore the aging 12-room structure. The Anjuman is raising around 55 lakh rupees for the renovation. The Dharamshala is fully occupied every November and December, and during the summer vacations, "all the hotels and dharamshalas are full,” say the father and son. Udvada has four hotels, Globe, Paradise, Ashishvang and Aatash and four dharamshalas, N. M. Wadia, Soda­waterwalla, Sir J. J. and Dastur Baug. The World Zoroastrian Organisa­tion in India manages the Ervad Ratansha Katila Stopover lodging place.

"Kiro chavaryo”

Buyers of studio apartments will have the option of letting Tadiwala rent out their flats to devotees and earn a minimum monthly income of Rs 4,500. For a monthly charge of Rs 300 per room, the flats will be kept clean by a caretaker. Tadiwala has increased the sale price of the apartments by Rs 30,000 each in order to provide generators for all the flats. "All the electrical fittings, air conditioners, lights, fans will work,” even when the power supply fails. The cost of the diesel for the generators will be paid from the interest earned from the additional Rs 30,000 payment, he states. Initially the plan was to have a generator only for the common areas such as the landings, stairwells, lift, etc. In addition Tadiwala promises 24-hour hot and cold water supply and an EPABX telephone system. Free parking space is provided for on the ground floor, he states. Flats now sell at Rs 6,90,000 for a 478 sq ft property up to Rs 10,35,000 for a 744 sq ft apartment, inclusive of all costs.

The idea for the apartment project germinated while on a visit to Perth to meet his daughter Mehernaz, son-in-law Farhad Master and his two grandchildren. He saw a studio apartment complex wherein the maintenance, payments, everything was looked after by the caretaker using the rent earned by the owners from letting the place. "Mané kiro chavaryo (I got a hankering)” to try something similar. He was considering settling in Perth and starting a catering business but the untimely death of his youngest brother brought him back.

The son of Perviz and Noshir, Tadi­wala studied at the Sir J. J. School and the Seth R. J. J. School but failed in the 10th standard. He learned the catering business courtesy the man he calls his godfather, Rustomjee Nusserwanji Bharda. Despite having 10 children of his own, Bharda took a shine to the indigent youngster. "He adopted me as his 11th child. From the age of 11 I was with him in his catering business.” When his mentor took ill, Tadiwala completed a contract to feed around 3,000 Zoroastrians in 1982 at the inauguration of Ava Baug built through a munificent donation from the late Shapur Jokhi of Hong Kong. Tadiwala’s Mek Caterers undertakes assignments all over India, he notes and even catered for a function at Perth with his son-in-law.

Diversifying from catering in 1997 Tadiwala took on the running of the Noshirwan Hotel in Udvada, where the Iranshah Apartments now stand, on a six-year contract. But by 2000 after a dispute with the owners he decided to buy over the concern for 35 lakh rupees. The Navsari People’s Bank provided a loan which made the acquisition possible. For the construction of the apartment blocks the Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank extended a loan of 50 lakh rupees which Tadiwala says he has since repaid. "The Bank should come to Udvada,” he enthused.

Eric Tadiwala (left) and Manek at Sodawa-terwalla Dharamshala

From 2004 his family took on the running of the Sodawaterwalla Dharamshala. Rooms are available at Rs 50 per person per day and three a la carte meals at Rs 175. His 27-year-old son is a wildlife enthusiast and a member of the local Animal Welfare Board. He showed Parsiana a snake that had climbed onto someone’s motorcycle. He was to release the reptile in the wild shortly thereafter. Their group has around 200 members in the Valsad-Navsari district. Due to the dwindling forest cover, more and more animals, "especially snakes” venture into human habitat. He was contemplating studying hotel management in Australia, but instead remained here. "I like Udvada,” he replied when asked if he would rather work in a city.

Tadiwala is also active in community institutions. In September during Parsi­ana’s visit to the coastal village with a population of around 5,500, Tadiwala was raising funds for an ambulance for the locals. He assists in the management of the Seth M. C. Daman­walla Charitable Dispensary which provides free medication to Parsis delivered to their home, a month’s supply at a time. The property belongs to the Sir Ratan Tata Trust which has loaned the structure for the dispensary. Rates for consultation and medication are fixed and a doctor treats patients of all communities. Udvada resident Keki Dastur is the president of the clinic.

Commuting around Udvada on his two wheeler and in the absence of any heavy traffic, he is easily able to keep an eye on all his projects. He even offers cars on hire to pilgrims wishing to visit the fire temples in Navsari and Surat.

But the greatest draw for the agile businessman is being close to the Iranshah and praying there daily. He ascribes his success to the proximity to the sacred fire.