Play Centre’s 76th

Noting that Nowroze Baug was a housing colony with limited finances "but a big heart,” Homi Ustad, president of Nowroze Baug Play Centre (NBPC) told the gathering at the 76th anniversary function of the association on November 19, 2022, "If the Play Centre has given you something, it is your time now, to give it back. An association just cannot run on an empty stomach.” Thanks to NBPC, the Nowroze Baug grounds are accessible every day as versus only on Saturdays. He encouraged the parents to get their children to participate in all the activities that are held. These include medical schemes, distribution of exercise books, providing tuition fees to students and sports.

Chief guest for the evening Armaity Engineer, principal of Bhaktivedanta Swami Mission School, appreciated the hard work parents and grandparents contribute in raising their offspring. She exhorted the young "to take care of your grandparents since they are the ones who raise you while your parents are at work…The world is at your feet, dear children,” she said. "Life teaches us a lot of lessons; the first one is humility. You can be a good master and lead only if you have been a good follower.”
The crowd was welcomed by host Nazneen Govadia and a video message from Zubin Surti, founder of Mental Health Trauma and Dance Company and a fellow Nowroze Baug resident.
The evening began with the tiniest members of the Baug dancing on stage as their proud parents cheered and performed offstage. The choreographer Friyan Navdar’s hard work was clearly appreciated by the audience whose applause did not cease for minutes. To encourage the youth, each performer was felicitated with a gift and chocolate that lit their faces with some young ones even refusing to get off the stage.
The evening was followed by a prize distribution for students. Kaiwaan Dalal from Bombay Scottish High School scored 99%, the highest percentage in ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) examination and Pehzan Motafram from Don Bosco High School scored 93.80%, the highest in Secondary School Certificate. Among others awardees was Nasha Pooniwalla who secured highest grade in Bachelor of Commerce from the Mulund College of Commerce. The rotating trophy was handed to Pinaz Deboo Master of Commerce from H. R. College, Khushnuma Gandhi Bachelor of Education and Postgraduate Diploma in Management from K. J. Somaiya College and Baug resident Ava Madan (ICSE) from J. B. Vachha Girls High School.
Finally, Nariman Mehta, lovingly referred to as "Najoo Uncle,” was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award for providing free homeopathy for 40 years to the residents of the Baug. The respect shown to him by each member of the colony was one of the most pleasurable occurrences of the evening. Proud parents and grandparents introduced their children to Mehta while he appreciated and blessed every one of them with a cheery smile. The efforts of Cyrus Siganporia, active member of the NBPC for over five decades and leader of a team of Zoroastrians that clean agiaries and dokhmas, were also lauded.
True to the essence of NBPC, Neha Umak, a sand artist depicted the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, leaving all the children flocking to her as their curious eyes looked at her art. Breaking the monotony of every year, the evening came to an end with Gaurav caterers serving the traditional patru to the guests who seemed to relish the meal.
Guests included four trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), chairwoman Armaity Tirandaz, Xerxes Dastur, Anahita Desai and Dr Adil Malia. Also present were former chairman of the BPP Dinshaw Mehta, secretary of the N. N. and R. N. Wadia Trust Percy Siganporia and NBPC secretary Yasmin Engineer. Chairperson of the BEST and F-South Ward corporator Anil Sadashiv Kokil joined the guests a little later in the evening. Jerusha Patel