A princely collection

The Tata family’s largesse did not extend only to donating profits from their various businesses to charitable trusts. Even the art collection assiduously collected by Jamsetji Tata’s two sons, Sir Dorab and Sir Ratan, were donated to the Prince of Wales Museum (PWM). Delivering a talk titled "The Tata Collection in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya” (formerly PWM) the museum’s director Sabyasachi Mukherjee said the Tata family are the "largest donors to the museum… they were alive to the aesthetic needs of the people, especially of Bombay.” The museum in turn has named two of its galleries after Dorab and Ratan which "stand silent testimony to the aesthetic values of two remarkable Mumbaikers.” He regretted the fact that though the sons had built up the Tata empire, "Not a single book has been written dedicated to Dorab and Ratan.” At the time of Jamsetji’s death the Tata holdings consisted of three textile mills and the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mukherjee noted. The subsequent expansion was done by his two children.

Sabyasachi Mu­kher­jee: a book on the Tatas

The director noted that the Tatas were well guided in their acquisition of antiques from the Orient to the West. He hypothesized that the auction house of Sotheby’s may have assisted in the purchases. Mukherjee is authoring a book on the Tata collection in collaboration with Marg Publications, noted K. R. Cama Oriental Institute (KRCOI) joint honorary secretary Homai Modi. The book is due to be published in April 2010, Mukherjee informed the gathering.

Mukherjee spoke at the KRCOI on November 11, 2009 to commemorate the 179th birth anniversary of the noted orientalist Kharshedji Cama after whom the institution is named. KRCOI president Muncherji Cama said Kharshedji had been referred to by the French scholar James Darmesteter as "the lay dastur.” Kharshedji was married at the age of eight and lost his father early in life. He was brought up by his paternal uncles and traveled to Calcutta, China, Japan, London and other places on business. "He was fluent in several languages,” noted Muncherji. He termed Kharshedji "a reformist.” When the Rev John Wilson converted two Parsi students to Christianity the community awoke to the need to be educated about Zoroastrianism and its teachings. In this effort Kharshedji along with others led the movement for scholarly research on the religion. KRCOI joint honorary secretary Dr Nawaz Mody proposed the vote of thanks.