Zindagi veeraan si lagne lagi hai
Man mein udhaasi ghar kar gayi hai
Kal kya hoga, yeh sab ka sawal hai
Lekin shayad jawab kissi ke paas nahin hai
Asha ka ek deepak hum sabne jalaake rakha hai
Is deepak ko hum kabhi na bujne denge
Yeh iraada humara mazboot hai
Yeh baazi hum sab jeet kar dikhayenge
Kal phir ek naya din aayega
Uske suraj ki kirnon se sara jahaan jagmayega
Har taraf hariyali hogi
Khushi ki ek lehar hogi
Tab tak hum sab himmat na haarenge
Is virus ka dath kar muqabala karenge
Itihas ne hamein sikhaya hai
Himmat se aaage badhna hi humaari taakat hai
Us din ka besabri se intezar hai
Hum apne desh apnon ko milne aayenge
Apni maa ..apni beti..bhai behnon aur doston koh gale lagayenge
Haan hum zaroor aayenge
Ishwar se humne vaada Iiya hai
Himmat by Deepa (Laji) Bhagnari
Devibai Mehta – The “Can Do” Lady!
Written by Kiran Mehta Luthra and Amrit Kishore Mehta with inputs from Devibai’s brother Lachu Gehi, President, Shree Bhagnari Panchayat
All lives should be celebrated. Most leave footprints in the sand, only to be washed away by the changing tides of time. Some, on the other hand, leave large indelible prints; paths that future generations emulate and follow.
This is a story about Devibai Mehta, a nurturing mother, a doting grandmother, a courageous woman, a pioneer, a stalwart, and a lifelong inspiration to her children and grandchildren. By sharing her story, we hope she leaves a lasting impact on future generations of the Bhagnari Community, as she has with her family.
Devibai Gehi was the daughter of Shri Ghanshamdas Gehi, featured in the May 28th 2020 story. During her teens, she was married to Jethanand Mehta, who belonged to a wealthy Raisahib family in Karachi. Together they had 4 children – Sunder, Ram, Pushpa, Kishore. It was meant to be a well-scripted, perfect life.
But then life happens while you are busy making other plans. As things turned out, she found herself fleeing Karachi with her 4 children during partition. She landed in Bombay at the age of 28, only to realize that her husband had no intention of joining them. She found herself in a circumstance nobody wants to be in – poor, penniless, unemployable, and with a responsibility to care for four young lives all by herself. She was a single mom before the term “single mom” was ever invented. Devibai then proceeded to do what she does best; actions that exemplified the rest of her life.
Her first priority was to earn a living. She had barely finished grade 4 schooling, enough to make her fluent in Gurmukhi. She was adept at embroidery and stitching. So, she started soliciting orders from the community, and stitching clothes/accessories with her sewing machine. Little by little, she started to earn enough to feed and educate her children. People still comment on her amazing seamstress skills. Her sewing machine was a permanent fixture in her bedroom till she died.
Her next priority was education. She was determined that her children continue schooling in India. Sunder was admitted to the Sind Model High School, and Ram & Kishore went to St. Michael’s High School. Sunder, being the eldest, made significant sacrifices by working during his teenage years to earn an income to support the family. He was one of the first Bhagnaris to seek employment in Dubai in the 1960s. He was affectionately known as Maama by all those who followed him in Dubai (we will write more about him in a subsequent article). His sacrifices allowed Kishore and Ram to earn their Engineering degrees, and subsequently study in the UK.
Her emphasis on education has permeated to her grandchildren and great grandchildren – several have Master’s degrees, were educated abroad and live/work in India, UAE, UK, US and Canada. None of this would have been possible if Devibai had not made education a key priority in the midst of what was a hopeless situation. Although she never earned a formal education herself, she was wise beyond words, knowing that her family’s best path out of poverty was a good education. To this day, when future generations of Mehtas get together, they reflect Devibai’s values. They talk incessantly about the value of education above everything else, and share stories about their children’s academic pursuits.
Devibai had several other amazing human qualities that made her a pioneer – one of the female leaders in the Bhagnari Community. She was affectionately known as “Jhansi Ki Rani” by her father. She was a Warrior, the Can and Will Do Lady, Our Iron Lady.
Every morning she would read the Sukhmani. It was her time to renew her faith, to regain her will and mental composure, in the midst of a life filled with constant turmoil. It kept her grounded and resolute, always believing that no matter how bad things were, they could always get better. At her core, she was an optimist, and very little fazed her. Later in life when her family would go through challenges, she would often say, “Go to bed, get a good night’s sleep, tomorrow will be better, and we will deal with whatever comes our way.” They have lived with this advice for the rest of their lives.
She doted on her grandchildren. There were always warm hugs at all times of the day. When you woke in the morning, she would pause from reading her Sukhmani, run her hands over your head, planting a kiss on your cheek, and blessing you with the best the Universe had to offer. Despite getting very less, she always had lots to give. It takes a very magnanimous, larger-than-life person to transcend circumstances, to rise above them, and in the process generate enough selfless love to give others. She proved, through her actions, that unconditional love has the power to overcome fear, hate, anger and other negative emotions.
She wasn’t a nurse by profession, but certainly acted like one when needed. Jaundice had spread in Bombay, and two of her grandchildren suffered from it. Different oil free recipes were churned out by her along with a daily dosage of Liv 52, and gallons of sugarcane juice with ginger. She would run to the sugarcane vendor to get fresh juice daily. She cured her grandchildren much to the surprise of Dr Rajani who shook his head in disbelief. When they had numerous falls while playing, often coming home with a bruised & bloodied knee, she was quick to apply “patti” with cream and antiseptic. In no time, they were up and running again. And then there was always “makhi brandy” when they got a cold.
Later in life, when Jethanand (who then lived in the US with his new family) suffered an acid attack requiring multiple surgeries, he traveled to Bombay to be nursed back to health by Devibai. How she did it no one knows. One can put it down to her innate ability to care for another human, to heal, to put her anger or animosity aside, and to do what was needed of her at the time.
But she was no pushover or doormat. One would be wrong to mistake her compassion for weakness. On the contrary, she embodied tough love and hated whining or complaining. She was determined to overcome, especially when challenged. When told by some people that her kids were not worthy of earning a degree, she made it her life’s mission to make it possible, as if to prove that she was capable of mapping her own destiny. No one was going to dictate what was possible; only she did!
Now for some colourful anecdotes about Devibai as narrated by her grandchildren:
- Summer holidays were filled with muddy games at the beach, visits to the bookseller for Amar Chitra Katha comics, and trips to various gardens in Bombay with her – Booto Garden (Hanging Garden), Elephant Garden (Charni Road), Aeroplane Garden (Juhu), Gateway of India, and the list was endless.
- Songs of unrequited love played on her Bush transistor as she lay next to us in the heavy stillness of the afternoons or wet chilly nights. She would suddenly open her eyes from deep slumber if a Dev Anand song played, she instantly gave us a history of the song and how she ran away from school to watch a Dev Anand movie. She took a Calmpose pill at 10pm every night, and the radio kept going. We would gently turn the radio off, switch off the lights as we watched her in deep slumber.
- She would often take us to the Sitladevi temple or Gurdwara opposite Random Colony in the evenings where all her friends would pray, then gather to discuss the best gossip stories. As Kiran imitated various characters, Sita Maa, Kishin Maa and Gugleh Maa would burst into vicious chuckles and giggles till the Pundit would fume and remind them they had to sing a few bhajans to bury their gossipy sins. She was also the team leader of the Anarkalis gang. They would meet at Shivaji Park beach for sukha bhel and gossip sessions, while her grandchildren played in the sand with their toys.
- There were several visits with her to her sisters’ homes to mingle and connect with extended family. Devibai’s brothers and sisters – Ganga, Shanti, Dodo, Lachu, Mukhra, Rama – formed a support system she relied on through daily phone calls and visits. They were by her side during her most vulnerable years.
- One of her pet passions was food. Memories of her Saffron, Rose and Pista Sherbet bottles remain fixed in our minds. Her freshly-baked nankhatais were to die for. Her ghee dripping chapati, Borri Roti, Macchii Dodha, Kara Prasad were the best we had ever tasted, to name just a few. Pooja remembers summers making pickle, vadi, papad, and kachri with her. She was assigned the task of grinding the seyal masala, a recipe she eventually memorized. Visits to the City Light market with “dadhi” were always entertaining, especially the haggling with the “bhaiya” about the price of “Paaplet” (Pomfret), her favourite fish. And yes, he did get his money and a sagra mua comment at the end.
Devibai died in 2007 at the age of 87. During her final months, her grandsons Haresh and Manoj visited her often, taking good care of their dear “Naani”.
Other grandchildren who were overseas also paid their visits. Kiran would travel often during her last three difficult months when she was bedridden. Silently for her, it was payback time for all that her grandmother had done. During Kiran’s last trip, Devibai chided her not to come back again as there would be no need. She passed away the next morning.
Around the same time, Amrit was in Bombay to see her, and the night he was scheduled to fly back to Canada, he stopped by to see her for one last time. As Amrit kissed her goodbye and left the room, her face suddenly turned very sad. They both knew this was the last time they would see each other. Amrit walked to the main door and spontaneously decided to turn around to see her one more time. This time, in a final gesture that embodied the very essence of who she was, Devibai mustered a wonderful smile, her face glowing with joy. It was her last courageous act in the midst of adversity. A sign perhaps that her life’s work was not in vain; that in the end she had indeed won. It lives as a lasting memory to this day.
We hope she is dancing in the heavens, watching over her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Witnessing what her life’s work has produced. It is our sincere hope that by narrating her story, it will be told and retold by future generations at Diwali and Thanksgiving get togethers around the world. Devibai’s future generations will know that they come from grit, from compassion, from love, from a “can do “spirit, and above all, from her.
She will live on through these stories, and in the form of the Devibai Mehta Scholarship – an effort to celebrate her life and her spirit!
Kiran and Amrit
About the Authors / Credits:
This narrative about Devibai Mehta’s life is an act of love! It is jointly authored by two of her grandchildren, Kiran Mehta Luthra and Amrit Kishore Mehta. The president of Bhagnari Panchayat, Shri Lachu Gehi (also Devibai’s brother) provided plenty of rich anecdotes that deepened our understanding of her life, her challenges and her triumphs. Finally, the words expressed here reflect the sentiments of all of Devibai’s grandchildren – Haresh Gulabani, Manoj Gulabani, Reshma Mansukhani, Pooja Mehta Chandani, Rahul Mehta, Rajiv Mehta, Shalini Mehta, Sheetal Mehta Brown. We are blessed to be part of her lineage!
About the Devibai Mehta scholarship:
As a celebration of Devibai’s life and spirit, the scholarship will selectively fund deserving students in need of a good education and unable to afford one.
We are looking for individuals who embody and embrace her enduring values:
1. The virtue of WORK – work hard, be sincere and never shy away from a tough challenge.
2. The enduring ethos of HONESTY – above all be honest, even when circumstances force you to do otherwise. Tough times pass. Don’t compromise on your ethics or stray from embracing what’s right.
3. The COURAGE to continue – life has its ups and downs, and everyone faces challenges, of varying degrees. Let your most difficult moments define who you are. When you fall down, stand up, dust yourself off, and start over. Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it’s the courage to continue that counts. 4. The value of EDUCATION – study hard, and embark on a lifelong quest to learn and grow through a formal education.
My father Ghanshamdas Gehi – President of Panchayat for 1 day
Written by Lachmandas Gehi
Recently Subash Kataria, grandson of Mukhi Takandas Kataria, posted an autobiography, hand written by the great man himself. Subash expressed his desire for other members of the community to share inspiring stories of their elders. I have therefore ventured to write my father Shri Ghanshamdas Thariamal Gehi’s story, which I hope inspires others to share their stories.
My father was born in Hyderabad, Sind in 1889. As his 10th child, I have been quite close to him and have many memories of him, which he had told me. He was always interested in getting into new industrial products and in agriculture. He had a fruit and vegetable garden, which he jointly owned with his brother Rijumal. The garden’s name was Ghandumal’s Bagicha.
His first industrial enterprise was Jungshai Glass Work, which he started before the 1st World War, in partnership with a famous Congress worker Narsinglal Bhatia. They used German technology. After the war, the company closed down due to economic reasons.
After that he started Master Sodawater Factory with his friend Kundanmal Gidwani. It was named after my uncle who was senior to my father and was called Master. In those days there was a famous sodawater factory called Hassanali Sodawater Factory. It was as famous as Roger’s of Bombay. As many Bhagnaris were in the business of liquor and having bars, Hassanali had less capacity to supply sodawater to bars and desi daru shops. So my father started a sodawater factory. The challenge came from Hassanali as he used to produce a much loved drink like Limca. So my father went into collaboration with a British firm, who were selling Vimto. Its syrup ingredients were supplied by the British firm. Vimto became a famous drink, same as we have Coca Cola now. During the 2nd World War the supply dwindled, so my father started making the syrup in Karachi. He even got the labels printed as the British firm allowed him to do so, in order to keep Vimto’s name alive.
Another enterprise that my father started was London Paris Perfumery Company. He also used to supply toiletries and other materials to the army.
Though technically not qualified, he had a library at home with more than 2000 technical and non-technical books. These books were managed by my sister Ganga. Few of his technical books were brought to India. One book I used to study was a set of 5 volumes called Fortune in Formulas. He disliked the phrase “Cannot be done or impossible”. If somebody has produced a toothpaste, it should not be impossible for us.
Once as a child he took me to Goda Gadi (horse carriage) maker, as he wanted to have one. The makers name was Kasim Memon. When my father asked him to make one, he said it will be available after 3 months, as he was producing one carriage per month and he was booked for 3 months. He told him, “Kasu if I open workshop, I will produce one carriage in one week.” Kasu laughed and told my father “Seth I will pass on orders to you.”
Within one week he started workshop to manufacture horse driven carriage. Production started after three months as it was totally mechanised by importing the complete wood cutting profile and cutting machines. He started producing one carriage per week and they were sold in many Sind cities. Then came 2nd World War and petrol became available only on ration – about 2 or 3 gallons (10 to 15 litres) per month. Many people started selling their cars. My father would buy cars, remove the engines, put the horse in front and make it like a Goda Gadi. It was less laborious for the horse as cars were already fitted with tyres and ball bearings. He fitted some lamps with bulbs as dynamo was fitted with batteries and made them practical.
Now I will talk about his research work in agriculture. For your information, in India the grapes were first introduced in Karachi. The saplings were brought from France by my grandfather and he was given the contract to grow grapes in Karachi. The garden’s name was Gandhi Garden, which was given to my grandfather on rent. My father’s own bagicha was called Gandumal Garden, which he jointly owned with his brother Rijumal. He turned it into a well-designed garden, which was a great task. To supply water to a 100 acres garden, he built a water tank which was also used as a swimming pool, much above the ground level, so the flow of water reached till the end of the garden. In 1944 he built another well to get more water for the garden. He was also an expert in grafting. He grafted grapes and rose plants, which resulted in sweet grapes with aroma of rose. It was known as Anabshahi and sold to the Governor’s house, Collector’s office, Commissioner’s office as well as in the market. The fruit and vegetable from Gandumal Garden were famous in the market.
He once created sweet and sour mulberries, for which he grafted green sweet mulberries with red sour (khati) mulberries. Imagine the outcome, when the trees grew after 5 years, with half of the mulberries green sweet and half of the mulberries sour. I don’t think there was any Bhagnari who had not visited our garden. So many ill persons would stay at our garden and get well. Advocate Nagrani was my father’s close friend. Once his brother became critically ill. He stayed at our garden for some time and became well. This surprised his doctors also. My uncle Rijumal was connected with Karachi Club. I don’t remember if he was President or Secretary there, but whenever MCC cricket team were in Karachi, he would entertain them at the garden. On one such occasion I was with my family there and I remember very well, because first time in my life I tasted chutney sandwich, as they were prepared for the team.
The picture that you all see in Panchayat Hall (posted with this article) was taken after he won a court case. Though he was not a qualified advocate, he had requested the judge to that he could fight the case himself. He received good help from his friend Advocate Nagrani. For this case he had to stich a white shirt with collar and a black coat.
My father remained in Pakistan with my brother Ramchand and started manufacturing foreign made liqueurs in partnership with one Parsi namely Nasavanji Kalyaniwalla. They started manufacturing whiskey, brandy, gin and rum. My brother Ramchand was in Pakistan till 1953. He came to India after we were quite established in manufacturing in Bombay. When he arrived here, my father started another factory of food essences and food colours under the name of “Golden Sun Manufacturing Company” in the year 1965. We were then having three companies, with his blessings.
In Bombay he was given a leather tannery by the government in partnership with a Sindhi person. As Mukhi Takandas Kataria was close to my father, he once told him, “Don’t go into this business as you will be dealing with the skin of cows and other animals.” He immediately shifted to the manufacturing of pigment colour for leather at Dharavi. Then he was allotted 800 sq ft factory at Mazgaon and when I joined the factory in 1957, he wanted to add one more item, boot polish. Till then he was into manufacturing of cosmetics for footwear industries which was substitute for imported material. Some items were solely produced by us. Even after I have closed down, some items in our brands are still manufactured by my friend’s son. So our brand which my father had, is still alive.
I have a wonderful memory related to manufacturing of boot polish. It was the year before he left this world he said, “there is 100 crore population of India and if you sold 1 lakh tins per month and make 50 paisa per tin, you will earn Rs. 50,000 per month. His vision was right. We concentrated on selling to central government, army, navy and state government and we sold lakhs of tins by supplying them. In the Department of Director General of Supply and Disposal, my nephew Chandu played a great part of procuring their orders.
My father did one more great act, for which the Panchayat honoured him by placing his photograph in Panchayat Hall. It so happened that in one of the Panchayat meetings, Mukhi Takandas Kataria resigned and left the Panchayat Hall (in A Building) due to a disagreement. The Managing Committee appointed my father as an Acting President and requested him to go to Mukhi Takandas Kataria and persuade him to come back to the managing committee. This was done due to the fact that they knew that my father had good rapport with the President. My father went to him and on his persuasion Mukhi Takandas Kataria came back and occupied the President’s seat. I asked my father how he persuaded the great man, because of whose resignation the Panchayat was totally in doldrums. My father told me. “I heard his arguments for more than half an hour, during that time period I kept quiet. In the end he asked me, what was my view. I told him, no Bhagnari has given you the right to resign. He smiled and my father brought him back to Panchayat Hall.
My father was strongly connected with Arya Samaj and Bhagat Singh’s party. He was against Congress but he was always silent about his political careers. He was government contractor for Toddy shop business. He could read and write Sindhi, Hindi and Gujarati and read English and Arabic. Since he was in Arya Samaj he had to be well versed with religion. He had Bible, Quran and Gita in his office. All these books were kept respectfully as they should be. Now little story about his connection with Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s party. Once he made an eminent person from the party stay in hiding in our garden. He stayed there for some time, but one day he disappeared. Next day his photo was published in Sindhi paper and he was arrested in Hyderabad Sindh. Only me, my sister Saraswati and he had seen this man in the garden. He called me and my sister and told us, “If you tell anybody about this person, I will be put behind bars.” We kept quiet. In my father’s family the eldest brother was Rijumal, then my father, followed Bibi Vishin Kaur (Maiya), Hiranand and Krishna.
Beating the odds – Hiren Wadhare
Hiren Sunil Wadhare, a builder and owner of Shree Mahalaxmi Constructions undertook the daunting task of starting his own venture at the age of 23. His firm is engaged in construction of apartment buildings and small redevelopments. His entrepreneurial spirit and hard work has now manifested in his first successfully completed apartment building along with several other ongoing projects.
Hiren completed his Bachelor’s in Management studies from Lala Lajpat Rai College and his M. Com in Management from Mumbai University. Just 2 weeks after his Graduation, he left for Dubai to take up a job at ADCB bank, as his parents wanted him to learn responsibility and understand what it takes to progress towards prosperity in life. For a person who had never cooked his own meal before, he now had to practice the discipline of a young working professional – he had to get up early to reach work on time, cook his own meals and live in a shared accommodation with complete strangers. This was an unsettling and difficult experience for Hiren but helped him organize his own life and paved the way towards launching his own venture.
His family’s business was construction and steel manufacture/trading. When he was a child, he would accompany his grandfather to various construction sites. He would love to run up to the terrace to enjoy the 360o panoramic views of the surroundings. Seeing the innate interest in his grandson, Hiren’s grandfather taught him various things about construction and the inner workings of the business. Hiren recalls, ‘my Grandfather was the one who inspired me to start this venture. There were people who had bought houses from him years ago. Occasionally, when any one of them met him on the road they would tell him ‘Hi and Hello’; and say we bought this house from you in that year, it’s been our most precious possession till date, or the house which you gave us has been lucky for us and we have progressed much after that. Usually, we often tend to remember the products that we buy and not the seller. But that is not the case with a builder. You will always remember the person who made your house. All these things made me realize that this is something I would like to do’, and that people would remember him too – nestled in their happy home.
So, at the age of 23, Hiren moved back to Mumbai – his city of dreams, to start Mahalaxmi Constructions and hustled to win a project of his own and in his name. Hiren explains: ‘my role is to first meet with landowners and convince them to assign me the project. Subsequently, I discuss all necessary legal paper work with my solicitor and then coordinate with my project architects to get the plans approved with local authorities (there are approx. 40 – 60 conditions that need to be complied with depending on the size of the project). I side by side manage the construction site until the site has been delivered to happy customers’.
The main issue when you go to buy a house in Mumbai is lack of transparency among the buyers, legal paperwork, and concern whether it is the right price to buy under the existing market scenario. To overcome this, Hiren makes sure that the project is free from any hassles/legal issues, and that it is delivered before the promised completion date. As far the prices go, all buyers are requested to perform the necessary due diligence before going ahead with the booking. Hiren explains his earlier struggles – ‘for almost 2 years after I returned to Mumbai, I tried to convince landowners that I can do it. I must have met at least 250 – 300 landowners in a span of 2 years, out of which only one owner expressed confidence that I could deliver and complete the work within the promised period’. Hiren successfully completed his first project – the construction site has obtained full Occupation Certificate and all 14 flats have been successfully handed over to 14 happy families.
Hiren explains the fine margins in the field of construction – ‘In our field not many builders go for small redevelopments as the profit margins are low and it takes the same amount of time to clear a small project as compared to a big one. But with a different approach we made it possible to get good margins out of small projects and sell homes at better rates than other builders thereby changing the dynamics of small projects’. Shree Mahalaxmi constructions has finished 1 project in Malad, and the paperwork for other 2 projects are with municipal authorities, out of which, the construction of one project in Mahim will begin soon.
Hiren’s dedication and perseverance are an inspiration to many Bhagnari youth aspiring of doing something new, distinctive, challenging and to realize and achieve one’s goals with a zealous spirit.
‘Aanewaali Diwali’ by Deepa (Laji) Bhagnari
Charon taraf sannata hai
Sarkein sooni…bazaar veerane hain
Log sahme apne gharon mein baithe hain
Kal kya hoga sab is soch mein pareshaan baithe hain
Yeh Kaisa Samay dikhaya Ishwar ne
Bache ghar mein udhas baithe hain
Bahar khuli hava mein khelne koh bekarar hain
Ghar apna hai phir bhi aisa lage jaise kaidkhana hai.
Yeh bhi samay beet jaayega
Khushi ka waqt phir se aayega
Hum phir se azaad parindon ki tarah
Jhoomenge aur naachenge
Ayodhya ne Ram aur Sita ke vanvas ke baad khoob Diwali manaayi
Hum apne is vanvas ke baad aisi hi Diwali manaayenge
Amir ho yah garib har ghar mein diye jalaayenge
Har ghar mein rang bhirange phanoos aur rangeen batiyan jagmaayengi
Sooni sarkon par phir se chahal pahal hogi
Baazaaron mein phir se raunak hogi
Naye kapre naye abhushano ki phir se khareedari hogi
Charon taraf phir se khushi ki lehar hogi
Is Diwali hum khoob pathake jalaayenge
Pathakon ke shor se hum is sannate koh mitaayenge
Chalo hum sab milkar bolein
Yeh aanewali Diwali hum subh khoob manaayenge
Is Diwali koh kabhi nah bhoolne wali ek yaad banaayenge.
Subash Kataria reveals Mukhi Takandas Kataria’s Autobiography
Subash Kataria, grandson of Mukhi Takandas Kataria, pulls out a diamond from his treasure trove – a hand-written autobiography of his grand-father. The autobiography depicts the struggles that the great man went through in his early life. Subash, has outlined these in his forwarding notes.
Our Bhagnari community is no stranger to the plague. The community has suffered from the plague in the very early 1900s and many amongst us may have heard stories from our elders of those horror days.
Now a pandemic is visiting our world again.
In these days of Pandemic, let us all take inspiration from the true story of this young boy
• Who lost his father to the plague at 2 years of age.
• Lost his oldest brother to the plague too, then became an orphan at age 6
• Was rescued from drowning at age 2 and survived burns at age 7
• Got admission to school as a free poor student
• Was not allowed to sit for exams since fees were not paid
However, He was a bright young boy, full of determination, dedication and honesty. He had the zest to live and was not afraid of adverse and challenging circumstances.
He was a true visionary, much ahead of his time. He had faith in himself and his abilities.
He strived hard and lived with this simple motto: “ Satyamev Jayate” . Truth shall always prevail. He was a lad who grew up into a Man who believed in himself.
The fruits of his labour and his love for the Bhagnari community has touched and enhanced the lives of every one of us. This is the story of one of the greatest Bhagnaris ever born.
Let us today be inspired by this true story as written by him in his own hand maybe 60 years ago, and look at the present challenges of life and know that ‘THIS TOO SHALL PASS”.
T. H. KATARIA
(TAKANDAS HEMRAJ KATARIA)
AN INCOMPLETE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
As written by his own hands
Date of Birth: 18-05-1898
Attained Immortality: 26-11-1966
(A listing as prepared by Shri Takandas Kataria himself:)
This autobiography is probably penned in the early 1960s
Elders (PRESIDENTS)
1 Harimal
2 Chainamal
3 Sharipal?
4 Shamdas
5 T.H.K.
OTHERS
(Can somebody please throw light on these names? I am not very familiar with these respected elders of those days)
Born in May 1898 at Karachi in Bhagnari Street previously called Pamoo dalal street, in a respectable family.
Ours was mercantile community and there were few English knowing persons in those days.
Shri Hemraj was a teacher in Govt. N. G. High School and the first matriculate in our Panchayat. Hemraj has an amicable nature so much so that some students over 20 years after death used to come and ask his sons as to how they were doing. Such sincerity could be expected only as a result of his very good treatment to his pupils.
When T. H. Kataria was a small infant his parents went to visit Sadhubella Sukkur and when
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boat was approaching Sadhubella Shri T H Kataria fell in waters, but he was saved by a boatman who jumped after him.
In 1897-1900 a very dangerous type of plague (called bubonic ) broke out. Every year in succession, whenever plague broke out people used to flee from Karachi with the sick here left unattended by their near and dear ones. There were few persons to attend on sick and Govt. used even their school staff
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to look after and attend the sick. It was contagious disease. Shri Hemraj was also kept on duty and he too got infected and died of the disease.
In the next 2 years, all the other earning members of the family also died and five sons of Hemraj, Beharilal, Lalchand, Kewalram, Parsram and Takandas were left with their mother without any earning member. There were 2 sisters fortunately already married. The boys were all young but Beharilal took the burden and
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( In plague days the authorities used to burn the belongings of the house to combat disease where a plague case was detected. Thus, all the belongings removable were destroyed. There will hardly be a family that’s not have been affected by plague at Karachi. )
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looked after the family though he was very young.
Unfortunately, he too died about 3 years later victim of same plague which used to invade Karachi every year. We were then living at Lehman Naka Camp about 4 miles away from town. Every year at the time of plague several camps were made in far off places and the residents used to go and live.
After Beharilal’s death it became a problem for the mother to feed her children.
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She had a well to do mother but no help came from that quarter and after couple of years of torture of poverty and difficulty of feeding the family she died of burns at Lady Dufferin Hospital. Her sons to her was a liability and not asset and she died looking after and worrying for them. The four boys became orphans. Takandas about 4-5 years, Parsram 6-7 years, Kewalram 8-9 years Lalchand 12-13 years ages. The society pressed on
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grand mother who was well placed and she took the 4 boys at her home. Thus the independent family came to a close and they lived with maternal grand mother.
She got 3 boys Lalchand, Kewalram and Parsram engaged as shop assistants in that young age on salaries of 15,7 and five per month. All effort was made to get Govt. help since Hemraj was a Govt. servant and died on Govt. duty. Rs. 10/- per month were sanctioned for the family until Lalchand became 18. Thus the earning of the family became 37 a month which in those
PAGE 8
days could sustain a family of that size. Which was about 4/- a month;
Ghee about 40-50 a maund, milk for 0/1/6/ for pau seer. You can buy in the market vegetables etc. for pies also.
Things went on for some time , salaries gradually increased, the youngest Takandas was sent to Sanatan Dharam School where he was admitted as a free poor student though the fees were only 0/2/5 per month.
PAGE 9
At the age of about 6-7 years Takandas got seriously burnt in Diwali by crackers but he survived and this was second escape from death.
He was bright student and used to get good rank.
When Lalchand was about 18 , in grandmother’s family there was only one son who had three daughters. He was betrothed and after a year got married. He had been accepted as one of the best salesman and was drawing a salary of 60/- which was then in those days a good salary. Kewalram 40/- and Parsram 30/-,
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after some time the 4 brothers left the grandmother’s house and rented a house and lived separately. Grandmother asked for about 400/- which she had spent on marriage which were paid to her by instalments. Lalchand had a weakness of living luxurious life. The family therefore had always financial difficulty though earnings were more than ordinary requirements.
After couple of years Lalchand’s wife died and there was no lady left in the family.
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They brought the aunt who looked after the house. Kewalram also had grown up and both got married. Loans were taken from their Seths which were paid by instalments.
We moved to bigger rented house since 2 were married. As there were differences between the aunt, and Shri Lalchand and Kewalram , aunt left for her mother’s house.
Lalchand started managing the affairs but his weakness for luxury left the family always in financial difficulties.
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At this stage our brother in law Bojraj suggested that he would like us to become partners in a caps shop which he intended to open and wanted Parsram to manage. Shri Parsram was a very good salesman. Shop opened and he was in charge. Business was alright and paying but Shri Bojraj had some financial burden. Parsram got married to the daughter of a respectable man Shri Lilaram of Hyderabad and we all had to go there…
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Shri Bojraj had to close his business and we were advised also to close business as Bojraj was partner who had financed the show. Thus this business, where even our share of profits was invested was lost and nothing received.
Parsram then got an offer from one Kalyandas who had a shop in the Law Bazaar to join him as working partner. He along with his friend one Jethanand Murjimal Who promised to finance the business and the firm of 3 partners started.
Kewalram had also been getting a good salary and so was
PAGE 14
Lalchand. Takandas was a student and he had joined English school and the fees in those days were 1/4/- a month. This too was difficult to pay. For not paying fees he was not allowed to sit in the exam of the first std. and lost a year. He felt very much and joined the school a fresh. He got a promotion after 6 months as he was a bright boy. The school was middle school and there were only 5 students. He studied
PAGE 15
Up to 5th standard there and remained monitor in 2-3-4 and 5th standards. After passing 5th he tried to get entry into High School but failed so he joined C. N. S. High School. As he was bright boy he got the top rank there too and was liked by the Head master and Principal.
As the family had again got into financial difficulties due to certain weaknesses of Shri Lalchand it became necessary to leave studies.
The Headmaster and Principal offered financial help as they wanted a bright boy
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to continue but Takandas refused.
Mrs. Beharilal’s mother in law then brought in Mrs. Beharilal and requested us to keep her in the family and took the burden which was morally ours. We agreed and she lived with us. This was about 1912. He tried to get job but it was very difficult.
He got a temporary clerical job
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In an European firm at Kiamari
He was not liked by two staff as he was quick to finish the work which was mostly calculations whereas they wanted him to go slow.
This job also was over after 2 months.
After trying for 6 months he arranged for a job for Singapore but was not allowed by the family. He then got a loan of 100/- from Shri Bojraj and joined as a partner one Katumal Auctioneer but nothing came out of that auction business as Katumal was happy go lucky man who would spend away the sales with the result 100/- more lost and he had to hunt for jobs. Having married, for a year more he got no job. Lalchand was serving, Parsram was on partnership business, Kevalram was serving one Shri Thariamal Khemchand.
Kewalram persuaded Shri Thariamal to keep me as shop assistant to see if I could be useful.
I joined Seth Thariamal.
He had a Gujrati in his staff.
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Who was a salesman as well as a Gujrati correspondent as letters to Bombay used to be in Gujrati.
The Gujrati assistant did not turn up on duty next day as he thought I may later replace him.
Later Thariamal felt he had lost a man because of me and he tried to look for a man but to his pleasant surprise he found his sales having increased by 50% within 10 days though I was new.
The business was general merchant which consisted Hosiery, cutlery, fancy goods etc.
(…… This is the last entry of the available pages……. )
A note: The currency in those days were Rupees/Anna/Pies
An anna (or ānna) was a currency unit formerly used in british India and Pakistan, equal to 1⁄16of a rupee. It was subdivided into four (old) Paisa or twelve pies (thus there were 192 pies in a rupee). When the rupee was decimalised and subdivided into 100 (new) paise, one anna was therefore equivalent to 6.25 paise.
THANKS are due to Shri Ramesh Poplay who helped me transcribe some of the words in the hand wrtiiten document as well as to my mother in law Smt. Lata Ramchand Gangaramani who helped me to understand the events as well as the currency of those days. Thanks also to Shri Gobind Mehta and to Shri Lalit Jham for their valuable inputs.
Just a few of the numerous milestones in the life of Shri Takandas Hemraj Kataria:
• . The establishment of Kataria Optical Factory, India’s very own and first factory to produce spectacle frames.
• The establishment of the chain of optical stores under the banner of Takandas H Kataria
• The making of Kataria Nivas and Kataria Colony
o The longest serving Mukhi of Shree Bhagnari Panchayat
o The President of the All India Sindhi Panchayat Federation
o The Uncrowned KING of the Optical Industry in India in his days
o Being conferred with the title of SIND KESARI by the Federation
Memory of Shri Takandas H Kataria is perpetuated by
The Kataria Colony which is today an internationally known landmark
The Takandas H Kataria Marg , both in Mahim – Matunga in Mumbai as also in Ulhasnagar
The Library run by Kalpana Friends Circle in Ulhasnagar
ON MAY 18, 2020, IT WILL BE 122 YEARS SINCE SHRI TAKANDAS H KATARIA WAS BORN.
NEARLY ALL THE PEOPLE WHO CAME INTO HIS CIRCLE, BE IT OUR COMMUNITY , THE OPTICAL INDUSTRY, THE SINDHI PANCHAYAT OR IN POLITICS, PROSPERED IN LIFE.
Click on the following link to view the autobiography is Mukhi Takandas Kataria’s own handwriting:
A tribute to Late Mr Ram Gehani
Following obituary of Late Mr Ram Gehani was published in the Washington Post and also posted in Legacy.com. It was compiled by his children.
Ram Gehani, social activist, father, college professor, and successful business owner in the Washington, DC area, passed away at 4 a.m. on March 27, 2020, from complications of cancer. Mr. Gehani lived in the Washington, DC Area for 49 years. Born in what was then called Karachi, India in 1934, Mr. Gehani was raised in poverty during the politically tumultuous time of India’s Partition. In 1948, he fled Karachi with his family as a refugee to Mumbai and spent his childhood days working odd jobs after school to support his family and to finance his education. Mr. Gehani graduated from Bombay University, with BA and MA degrees, and later earned a Ph.D. in History from Strathclyde University in Scotland. Through hard work, determination, and his association with the RSS, a volunteer organization in India, he cultivated a love of knowledge and social service during his younger years which stayed with him throughout his life. Mr. Gehani immigrated to the United States in the late 1960s and settled in the DC area where he worked as a professor and librarian at the University of the District of Columbia for nearly 30 years, retiring in 2000.
Mr. Gehani never forgot his humble beginnings, and he made it his life’s purpose to serve less privileged people. During the 1970s he took a one-year sabbatical from his teaching duties to return to India. During this time, he studied different charitable organizations in India, and eventually co-founded a non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by empowering marginalized people with sustainable skills, medical services, education, and infrastructure.
At age 47, Mr. Gehani started his real estate business, which grew to be quite successful and served as the basis for him to donate much of his life savings to charity. Through his hard work in real estate, he donated all his life’s savings, a substantially huge amount to Sewa International, an organization which serves India, USA and many countries. SEWA, International, is a non-profit organization which specializes in family, child, tribal, and refugee welfare around the world. Visit sewausa.org for further details of this organization.
Through his work in service, Mr. Gehani had the opportunity to meet with senior American and Indian leaders, including several Indian Prime Ministers. Mr. Gehani had a calm, composed and wonderful spirit. His family and friends described him as willing to work through any obstacle facing him to fulfill what he believed to be his social mission. He was a true example of simple living, high thinking, and “service above self.”
Outside of work, he was known for his joy of reading and learning, and his disciplined lifestyle including exercising nearly every day, even during his cancer treatments. To his children he demonstrated valuable life lessons and was an excellent listener. He also taught at Sunday School every week and loved arts and culture, particularly the Smithsonian Museums in DC. He strongly believed that travel was the greatest way to experience other cultures first-hand. His smile, wisdom, and generosity will be remembered and missed tremendously by all of his friends and family.
Mr. Gehani is survived by his daughter Dr. Arti Gehani of San Francisco, CA, his son Mahesh and daughter-in-law Sarika Gehani of Dallas, Texas, his three grandchildren, Nithya, Somya, and Karthik Gehani, and his wife Dr. Mohini Gehani who lives in Potomac, Maryland. His funeral was held in a warm ceremony on a lovely day, Monday, March 30, 2020, at the Snowden Funeral Home in Rockville, MD. The family will schedule a public memorial service to be held on a future date due to current restrictions on group gatherings.
Mother’s Day by Deepa (Laji) Bhagnari
Why do we celebrate Mother’s Day on certain days of the year? I think for me everyday is a Mother’s Day. Not a single day we can do without our mother….as children our mothers took care of all our needs…we didn’t have to ask…her instinct guided her to our needs even before we could voice it…that is the bond that mothers share with their children. Children grow up..get married have children of their own but for a mother you are still the little child that she cuddled when you were a baby.
Today being mothers ourselves we can understand what Motherhood really means and we can now fully appreciate our mothers….whom we sometimes take for granted. Infact some are even callous and even have a don’t care attitude towards them. I wonder how? Mothers and children do have differences and even tiffs but they are easily resolved as mothers always have the greatest virtue that is forgiveness.
For me my mother is someone who I love dearly…she has been my main support..a friend..confidante..guide..mentor and someone who has held my hand and made me cross the roads of life which are filled with obstacles just like in a traffic jam. I think I owe her so much as I have seen her making so many sacrifices for us…working 24×7..
Helping me with my studies…copying my notes for me when I was absent from school..stitching beautiful clothes for me with her own hands despite being burdened with household chores. Knitting beautiful booties and sweaters for our children….the list is endless. I could go on and on..that is the kind of woman of substance she is. Indeed I am proud that God chose me to be her first born so I got so much love from her always.
Today I myself am a mother of two adults and infact a grandmother ..and I hope I am half as good a mother as my dearest mom….as she has set such a high standard of perfection that I wonder if I will ever be able to emulate it. But whenever I face a tough situation as a mother I always put myself in her shoes and wonder what would she have done and I always get my answers.. so she is a very good teacher 😊
Today unfortunately I cannot be with my mother as I am in Dubai …but I wish I was there to give her a cuddle and tell her how much I love her. She is now bed-ridden and sometimes forgets most of the things and even people but being a mother she remembers her children…thank God for that. I ring her up every night and she whispers in her feeble voice everyday ..”are you coming tomorrow to see me?” And my heart sinks as I tell her.. no mom will come soon ..you just pray that I should come soon…she is not aware of Corona virus and I am glad she doesn’t have any inkling about it or she would worry all the more for all of us.
Hope this virus goes soon so I can come there and meet her and hug her. And tell her how much I love her ..give her company in the afternoon when she is lonely, though she doesn’t talk much now..but my presence makes her happy and brings a smile to her lips …till then I pray to God daily to keep her safe and healthy.
Mother’s Day makes me remember two of my other precious mothers who didn’t give birth to me but still were my mothers in every sense. My mother in law Sita Bhagnari who loved me and took care of me always..just like my mother she was always there for me and when I had even the slightest acidity problem I would run to her and lie down near her to hear her soothing words which were like a balm to my wounds…she always made me feel better. I really miss her presence ..wish she was still with us. Then my aunt Isho (Javi’s mom), who was my Buva but she took care of me since I was a baby as she was also my mom’s best friend..Then in Dubai she was really a mother to me …always there for me in both my joyful and sad moments of life..today I miss her too much…but that’s life we just have to accept it that we can’t hold on to our parents always as much as we want to. Rest in peace my two wonderful moms…just remember I loved you both dearly.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms ….just remember, a mom creates a child but a child also creates a mom…so just as she plays her role to perfection ..children should also do the same…love their moms and dads unconditionally.
Dhairya Gehani refutes The Aryan Theory of Invasion/Migration
The Aryan Invasion theory – Something I am being taught in school right from 5th grade. Unlike most of my classmates who read subjective fields like history and sociology, get influenced by the Marxist school of thought (similar to their professor) do not do additional research or think out of the text book and just write in paper whatever comes in their text book, I generally look for a more compatible and objective way of finding historical truth and strongly abide by the reality although in paper, I show them “what they want to see”.
After months of study and deep thinking on this specific topic, I have concluded that the *Aryan Invasion/Migration Theory is a complete hoax* and it is not only taught as a theory but also has a decisive ideology behind it.
The theory states that the Aryan migrated to India from Europe between 2000- 1500 BCE with the “Vedic Religion”, enslaved the Dasyus that were natives of India and gave them a designation of the lower caste while converting them into their own culture.
Any person well read of ancient Indian culture can simply not deny the fact that the Rig Veda is the oldest of the four vedas. All geographic and climatic conditions as well as the plant and animal species mentioned in the Rig Veda are indigenous, belonging to the North West region of India (today’s Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan) so it’s impossible for the text to be written in Europe.
India’s architecture is much older than that of Europe for example the submerged city of Dwarka which has mentions in the Mahabharata text has been proven by the ASI to be about 17000 years old so again, it is impossible for Indians to be archeologically behind the Europeans at a time when Europeans grouped themselves into an organised “race”.
“Arya” in Sanskrit means a noble person. Marxist and colonial historians equated “Aryan” to be a “Race”.
The theory states that the Aryan entered India between 2000- 1500 BCE (3500- 4000 years back) but the Ramayana and Mahabharata were fought 5000 and 7000 years back respectively (the texts might have parts of mythology added that might not be true but the war as a consequence of the unknown is specifically being referred to here for the sake of my narrative) and there is enough evidence for these two.
These two epics have the word “Arya” and “Aryavrat” mentioned in them.
If this invasion/migration were true then why isn’t any of the wars between the Aryans and Dravidians mentioned in any text? The Aryans wrote so much, but how did they then forget to write their own origin anywhere?
Coming to the similarity between Sanskrit and other European languages, the counter argument can be that what makes one feel that this similarity exists because people came from Europe towards India? Why can it not be because people went from India towards Europe which makes more sense already explaining how civilization in India was much more advanced than it’s European counterpart.
The British had come up with this false invasion theory to defend their narrative when being called “invaders” and “outsiders” merely to counter argue the Indians by simply saying that they themselves were “outsiders” and “invaders” in their own country.
This theory also tries to give some idea of the origin of the Caste system since it states that the Aryans gave all native Indians the title of “lower caste” while maintaining their own ethnic purity. This again was an attempt to divide the already unstable Hindu society during the British rule for intention of promoting casteism. We cannot blame the British for creating this false theory because after all, they did it in the best interest of their motherland. However, to safeguard the golden history of our own motherland which today is presented to the youth in a manipulative form, we can blame our own Indian education system that still teaches this theory in subjects of Sociology and History, promotes casteism and unnecessary hatred against the Hindu culture which in its native land of India is regarded as something that came from outside as a result of invasion and bloodshed.
Unfortunately the greatness of this country is not estimated by the greatness of those who create history. It is recognized by the ideology of those who “write” it.
Vidhi Kamra’s Chocolate Lava Cake – In a Mug
Yessss, you heard right. You can actually make a gooey chocolaty lava cake in a mug now. And to make this treat even sweeter, our very own Resident Baker – Vidhi Kamra has made sure that it is made with simple pantry items so you don’t need to go out this Pandemic Season to fetch exotic ingredients.
Before we dive into this video, I will take a few moments to introduce Vidhi – whose easy and yummy videos we hope to see a lot more on this website. She is a young girl of 21, with a passion for baking sweet treats. She has worked at the Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai and now she is a successful business owner of Angels Bake.
Quick Recipe:
Wet Mix
30 Gms – Melted Butter
125 ML – Warm Milk
70 Gms – Castor Sugar (if you dont have Castor Sugar, just grind regular sugar)
4 Pcs – Chocolate Chunk
Dry Mix
60 Gms – Maida
60 Gms – Cocoa Powder
5 Gms – Baking Powder
In a bowl, add castor sugar and butter. Give it a good whisk. Add warm milk to it. Add Dry Mix to the bowl. Give it a good mix, but don’t over mix it.
Grease cups with oil/butter. Add batter to the cups. Place two chocolate pieces in the center of the batter and let it submerge in the batter.
Bake it for 10- 12 minutes. Run a knife at the edges of the cup to release pressure. You can demould it on a plate or enjoy it directly from the cup itself.
Please let us know in the comments section below which are the other recipe’s you would like to see from her and also if you tried this recipe, how did it come out. A picture would be great. =)
Happy Baking!
#BhagnariKitchen
