Meher Marfatia: The benevolent businessmen from Aden

They were the uncrowned kings of Aden in an age of Empire Tempering entrepreneurial acumen with gentle philanthropy Cowasjee Dinshaw 18271900 and his heirs dominated commercial and civic life of this port city located strategically in the Arabian Peninsula at the south of presentday YemenIf significant writings track the Parsi trade with China we have scant profiles of pioneers venturing to the Middle East The Cowasjee Dinshaw Collection inaugurating the Adenwalla Archive is offered by Bombaywalla Historical Works historian Dr Simin Patels organisation Vast and visually captivating it frames the fortunes of an illustrious clan transforming Aden from sleepy sandscape to the Crowns busiest transit hub with 80000ton oil tankers passing throughThe Cowasjee Dinshaw Agiary built for the ports Parsi immigrants was funded by its benefactor in 1883 Pic courtesySoli DaruwallaArriving in Aden from Bombay in 1845 Cowasjee worked for Muncherjee Eduljee Sopariwalla amp Sons where his father Dinshaw was manager Within five years he braved it solo providing the garrison and government basic supplies from a thatched hut in Crater the dormant volcano site he rode to on a donkey sometimes a pony Realising the potential of a modern port with sagacious vision he proceeded to remodel it for traffic between the Indian Ocean and EuropeCowasjee Dinshaw amp Bros was set up in 1854 Cowasjee was principal partner with his brothers Dorabjee and Pestonjee partners in their office at Steamer Point Tawahi on the harbour Emerging renowned ship chandlers they capably controlled military naval and livestock supplies launched sea routes for communication networks ferried travellers between Aden Perim and the Somali coast When the Suez Canal rose in 1869 the British India Steam Navigation Company hired this firm as Aden agents The Cowasjee Dinshaw Bhicaji Cowasjee and Shilay Yehuda emporiums were main attractions along Crescent arcade of Steamer PointPortrait of Cowasjee Dinshaw the founder patriarch of 19thcentury Adens leading business houseThe archives preserve an important slice of the history of Parsis in Aden says Parsiana editor Jehangir Patel Cowasjees seventhgeneration descendant and Simins father We discovered photos and documents in iron trunks in godowns and storage rooms Focused on Cowasjees communityconsolidating activities these examine his pivotal role as the contributor and custodian of such assets as a fire temple and funerary towerThe wealth willingly reserved always for public good facilities for the local population included a mosque and medical dispensary for Tawahis poorPostcard captioned Mr Leo takes his usual bath The Adenwallas were gifted the African lion as a pet cub by one of their sea trading partners Pics CourtesyBombaywalla Historical WorksCowasjee Dinshaw amp Bros recruited boys from Bombay and Gujarat Shiavax Bokdawalla of Navsari was picked as a 17yearold in 1943 His sons Jamshed and Sarosh reveal three generations of their mothers family were Adenborn Weekly outings were to Gold Mohur Beach or Prince of Wales Pier Going on to work with Noshir Motivalas Allied Agencies our father finally started his own Mazda Stores in Malla selling provisions and liquor Jamshed recalls The republic forming in 1962 South Yemen remained with the British as the Aden Protectorate until 1967 when it became independentRevolts caused conditions to deteriorate terribly Dad came to Poona with just the clothes he wore says Sarosh BokdawallaThose were heavyhearted homecomings Fleeing the ravages of civil war wrought by armed insurgents from the Radfan mountains among the last to leave Noshir Tangri exited Aden with mixed relief and regretmdashMemories of my fathers establishments Star Pharmacy and Ice Factory make me miss the prestige we enjoyedThat heyday had followed the finest hospitality template laid by Cowasjee Designated a Companion of the British Empire CIE in 1894 he felicitated viceroys dignitaries and even the Prince of Wales in 1875 on his passage to India His heirs as readily entertained touring members of the community With the canal the advent of steampowered ships and maritime surge the number of Parsi visitors upped Informed of these sojourns the Aden sethias welcomedthem warmly with invitations to grand mealsParsis residing overseas graciously greeted their brethren says Jehangir Patel Ships anchoring at a distance passengers boarded launches to reach port They looked forward to dutyfree shopping in Aden One of his trips was in 1953 en route west on a PampO liner and in 1955 aboard an Anchor Line steamer to India On my last visit in 1964 westward on a Lloyd Triestino steamer a special launch fetched me courtesy Dinshaw H Dinshaw Cowasjee Dinshaws grandson the grandfather of Kaikobad and Dadi Pudumjee and last family member in Aden Copassengers were duly impressed when my name was announced on the public address systemMy maternal grandfather Nusserwanjee Dinshaws younger brother visiting at the time was in the hospital knocked down by a car while crossing the road After meeting him I had lunch with Dinshaw and his lawyer Mansoor At the department store run by Cowasjee Dinshaw amp Bros I bought an Underwood or Olivetti portable typewriter There were no fancy display racks but durable items one wished to purchase were surely there I never heard anyone complain of not getting what they wanted Compared to socialistic India this was a consumers paradiseThe parts I visited had not many structures the desert appeared all around The place had a laidback languid air and was appealing he addsIn dry Aden with 45degree summers about 1300 Parsis in peak years lived alongside 30000 Gujaratis Sindhis and Punjabis Among other desi tycoons groomed by Aden was a 16yearold who journeyed in 1950 to clerk for A Besse amp Co on to distributing Shell petroleum products He was Dhirubhai Ambani dreaming of an oil refinery for India Besides Brits were the French Italians Greeks Jews and a few Chinese The port refuelled ships routed from Europe to India other parts of Asia and AustraliaKaikobad Pudumjee Jehangirs second cousin shares how the family was gifted Leo the pet lion from either Ethiopia or coastal Zanzibar to which they sailed a service The cub was pampered in their Steamer Point compound Our Aden home huge enough for him to roam the first floor its antique carved furniture was nicked by claw marks he remembers laughing Growing larger and louder Leos sunset growls scared away evening shoppers At the Governors request he was shipped to the Victoria Gardens zoo in BombayThe leonine tale is charming family lore A dramatic episode stirring the entire faith is of the Aden Atash fire of the holiest Adaran grade brought to Bombay in November 1976 Cowasjee had erected the Aden agiary for Parsi migrants in 1883 Communism seizing Yemen a century after they were determined to fly back the flame which nurtured them on foreign shores It was an act of courage and conviction Pressure mounted for the move from the Indian Foreign Ministry and Indira Gandhi personally intervened Attending a diplomatic conclave in Colombo YB Chavan persuaded the Yemeni administration to release the AtashVenerated by an allParsi crew aboard Lhotse Air Indias chartered Boeing 707 the sacred fire rested at Mahims Soonawala Agiary before being convoyescorted to Lonavlas Adenwalla Agiary where it still glows beautifullyThis compilation studies the idea of industry going ahead of prosperity to be involved in every aspect of philanthropy says Bombaywallas archive keeper Kamna Anand Categorising memorabilia that mostly came to light this yearmdashpostcards letters minutes of meetings for funded projects and plans of Adens Parsee Enclosuremdashshe naturally finds more thorough documentation for successive generationsInternationally respected as trusted bankers and ship chandlers the family hosted George V in 1911 arriving for the Delhi Durbar to celebrate his coronation Chairs from that function continue to be used in Adenwalla Baug their ancestral mansion at Tardeo Cowasjees son Hormusjee was an esteemed guest at the 1930 Bombay Central Station opening ceremony and the year after at the first Bombay Historical Congress in the University Council Hall The 1927 Cowasjee Dinshaw Centenary Memorial Volume by Framroze Ardeshir Dadrawala holds biographical sketches of Adens Parsis led by the exceptional daring of Cowasjee DinshawSpending pleasant afternoons translating records from Gujarati to English journalist Farrokh Jijina uncovered ample evidence of generous endowments Gujarati documents refer to Cowasjee Dinshaw Darjina Suggestive of a tailor Darjina was the surname his grandfather acquired in Bombay Adenwalla got appended later Both indicate the assignation of surnames based on occupation or native place It was for Bombay society the Adenwalla suffix spelt cachet in Aden resided many Adenwallas Cowasjee Dinshaw Adenwalla signed a list of terms for the firms donation towards constructing the Anjuman Atash Behram a major new fire temple at Dhobi Talao in the 1890sCowasjee Dinshaw is an inspiring example of what individuals achieve with foresight ambition and ability says Jehangir Patel Similar archives will be an impetus to others to disseminate documents related to their families neighbourhoods cities or countriesI feel a load off my shoulderMaravala fixing the Aden Agiarys toran at the doorway to the Lonavla fire temples sanctum sanctorum Pic courtesyFilly MaravalaFilly Maravala the first Zoroastrian Mayor of London in 1999 recently reunited the Aden Agiarys silver toran with the Lonavla fire temples Aden Atash Padshah Saheb holy flameI left Aden in 1967 After 15 years I revisited our Agiary looked after by a gentleman I know as Madan Uncle He urged me to bring back to England several Agiary artefacts for fear of these falling into wrong hands Wary of the Customs I took only this easily foldable silver toranAsked by a Yemeni Customs officer what the article was I explained in fluent Arabic that it pertained to my religion Unfolding the toran I put on my cap and recited the Ashem Vohu prayer He cleared meFrom 1982 till 2016 I had the toran in my house carefully polishing it on auspicious occasions An inner voice urged me to reunite it with the Aden Atash Padshah Saheb enthroned in Lonavla I contacted Sarosh Dinshaw a trustee of the Lonavla Agiary promising I would personally fix it there On December 24 2016 I hung it on the door leading to the Atash Padshah Saheb I feel a load off my shoulder People may come and go but our beloved chaandi nu toran will forever stay close to Adens Atash Padshah SahebAuthorpublisher Meher Marfatia writes fortnightly on everything that makes her love Mumbai and adore Bombay You can reach her at mehermarfatiagmailcomwwwmeher marfatiacomCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday 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