Families of Jhansi

History is made up of people and their events, so is the Jhansi Parsi history. A lot of the details of the people in Jhansi are a bit sketchy presently, but as time goes and we keep researching, we are sure we will unearth golden gems of history, events, ideas, entrepreneur spirit etc. A few families that come to mind are as follows:

The family I belong to.

According to stories told the doyen of our family, Bejonji Pestonji Olia came to Jhansi as a young boy of around 20 years to follow his dream of driving railway engines.

He was born into a very rich family in Sanjan, the father had huge farm estates & business in Sanjan & Navsari, but after his mothers death, his father married again, quiet normal in those days. The step mother and Bejonji did not see eye to eye & he told his father to just get his only sister Goolu married and soon after her marriage he left, came to Jhansi and started work in the railways.

After a few years he married Gool bai Shroff, whose family had come from Morar. Life was tough, driving coal fired railway engines, but they managed magnificently. A few children were born and the family lived contentedly and happily. The trails and tribulations were endless. The boys excelled in sports and the family was good at playing music too.

The step mother side of Bejonji's family never mixed much with our main stream family, probably due to distance of Jhansi & sanjan/Navsari, except on special family festive occasions. They supposedly inherited large estates & properties from their father, and by rights Bejonji being the eldest son had first rights to, but he never asked for his share.

In our family it is an unwritten rule that if an elder decides something it is never questioned, you just follow it. Like it or not. Normally decisions are also not taken in anger or haste, but self respect and honour for truth & the other person, are very high on the list. In later years they had some hard times but respecting Bejonjis decision, none of the sons ever went for assistance to their step uncles, even though they had, later on, very good relations with their uncles.

The spirit of adventure, to try everything, but above all stay together as a family is so deeply engrained, it is un believable. The respect, love and affections the sons and daughters have for each other is another "missal" an example to be exemplified. We are proud to have been born into this family.

A few records on our elders:

Goolbai's parents were Jerbai & Jamshedjee Bhagal. Her father migrated from Morar & worked in the Railway workshop in Jhansi and on retiring moved to Bhusaval.

Bejonji had step brothers Phirozshah, Nariman & Rustomjee. All deceased now.

The family elders on Bejonji & Goolbai family are as follows:

Goolbai's sisters:

• Sister Dhun married to Rustomji Bhagal, no children but had a step son.
• Sister Rata married to Phiroze Saklatwala and chidren named Homi, Sam, Pesi & Sarosh.
• Sister Tehmina, married Ardeshir Wadia & lived in Igatpuri and children named Rusi, Daulat, Perin, Savak, Homi, Adi, Kersi.
• Sister Dina had two daughters Sheramai & Mehramai. (Mehramai had two children Ratan & Freny. Freny is married to Filly Boyce)

Goolbai's brothers:

• Barjor, worked as an Engine Driver & died a bachelor. After retirement opened a general store in Sipri Bazaar Jhansi, near where the Vijay Medical Store is now.
• Sohrab also a Driver had son Keki (died a bachelor) & daughter Shirin married into the Sattin family.Kaikhushru, an Engine Driver & his wife Cooverbai.

Bejonji & Gooljis' children:

• Daughter Amee died at early age as a child around 12 years.
• Son Jehangir born in Guna near Kanpur passed away in Bombay, after poison spread in his body from an insect bite, one evening.
• Daugher Jaiji married to Dosabhai Elavia. He passed away early in life. Her children are Dolly, twin boys Adi & Akki, Jangoo & Filly.
• Son Cawas born Barkhera. Married to late Seroo children Anno & Dara.
• Daughter Mani born in Jui, married late Kaku Bhagat & her children are Jimmy, Zerin ,Minoo, Hunsu & Rosy.
• Son Dali married Seroo children late Rona, Zenobia & Percy.
• Son Keki born in Kanpur, 21 Nov 1921 died 11 Nov 2006 married Rati & their sons Firoz & Farokh.
• Daughter Daulat born Bina, married late Darabshaw Amroliwala, stepson Dhunji.
• Son Pesi born Bina & living in Jhansi, a bachelor.
   

Bejonji was an Engine Driver who came to Jhansi, lured by the romance of driving railway engines. He was transferred to various places in and around Jhansi, as can be noticed, from the children born in various places like Kanpur, Guna, Bina etc. Fond of animals specially dogs and the family always had pets, music and sports to keep them busy. He built two palatial houses in Sipri Bazar, sold off one after a few years and the other one was given on rent for years to the local Post office. This house survived and Pesi Uncle lives in it now. A daring entrepreneur who also started the Singer sewing machine company in Jhansi and was managed by his elder son Jehangir. The pet dogs are Tommy on chair & Robbin on ground.

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The family was very music oriented and almost everyone played an instrument and they had a mini orchestra. This was the time when there were no radios, television had not been invented and people at the time never even dreamt of any DVD,s & ipods. From left are Mani, Goolabai on piano, Pesi on mouth-organ, Jai aunty on the violin & Daulat.

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This is one of the rare original photos of the Family of Bejonji & Goolabai Pestonji Olia (Our Paternal grandparents).

Standing from left: Kaikashroo (Kaku) Bhagat , Keki Pestonji, Dali Pestonji, Jehangir Pestonji & Faram Bhagat.

Seated are from left: Bejonji Pestonji, Mani Bhagat (In arms is Jimmy) Goolabai Pestonji, baby girl is Dolly Amee Elavia & Dosu Elavia.

On ground from left: Daulat Pestonji ,Pesi Pestonji & Mehroo.

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This group photo of the cricket team shows 3 of the Pestonji boys. Seated from left are Dali, Keki & Dhunji Anklesaria & Cawas Pestonji standing 2nd from right with cap in hand.

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Dad was a fanatic sportsperson and played all sorts of sports. Here the photo seems to be of him ready to pedal away on his favourite bike to play some sport, probably hockey, judging by the uniform. Notice the large headlight on the handlebar. Nostalgically and ironically in November 2006, on his death bed with his body wrecked by old age, failing eyesight, eating disorders, when I mentioned that on television, the champions Trophy cricket match was being televised between Australia & India, his eyes lighted up, he sprung up, all energised and then realised his body was not upto it, and slumped back. The memory and the realisation was shocking to me, more then to him.

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Born on 21 Novemebr 1921 in Kanpur, our Dad was a debonair, suave person as can be seen from this photo. For his friend s he was plain Keki or KB.

His love for sports was legendary and with his brothers Cricket , Hockey , Billiards, swimming etc were all enjoyed. He was also a musician par excellence and his playing the mouthorgan even when in his eighties was meticulous and very joyful. We were regaled with stories of their early childhood days, teenage was good fun for them. There were numerous stories of them and cricket and the maharajas who were equally fanatic for sports during the British period .The influence of his father and elder brother Jehangir ji was evident all the time in his discussions. Cawas U & Dali were buddies and Pesi u was to be looked after.

He married Rati Sukhasvala of Bulsar on 26 December 1959 & had two sons Firoz & Farokh. Firoz is in Perth Western Australia & Farokh is in Jhansi, an active member of the community amongst Parsis and other friends also. Starting life in various vocations Keki joined the then Indian Provencial Railways as a guard in ....... which work he really enjoyed, till due to his failing eye sight and colour dis co-ordination he was transferred to the Telephone department where he served for years and retired in 1979 as senior telephone operator. In those days of primary telephone systems all communications went through their department in the Railways and Jhansi was a very important Railway section.

We remember Dad being called out even in late nights by the Parsis, in case of a family disaster, to relay the news to Mumbai family members specially if some one had passed away.

After retirement he lived in Jhansi, taking vacations in Bombay and also travelled to Ooty, Kashmir, Bulsar, Navsari etc & to Australia twice. A helpful person who was very gentle in his manner, never spoke harsh of others and taught us to tolerate all types of people as they are, remembered on his deathbed by lots of older people of his time who came to visit him frequently and keep his spirits up. He left us for his heavenly abode on Daepdin Roj Mah Tir 1386 on 11 November 2006.

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Wedding of Delna daughter of Percy & Baktawar Pestonji to Hanoz Dadrewala

Dali

• Kaikhushru & Coverbais children were:
• Son Tehmuras, ex British army world war veteran died a bachelor in Jhansi. A quiet gentle dignified person.
• Son Kersi, (Kaku) an Engine driver, married to Mani children Jimmy, Zerin, Minoo, Hunsu & Rosy.
• Son Faram, was a Regional Transport Officer and died a bachelor in Jhansi.
• Son Rustom, lived in Kanpur and died a bachelor.
• Daughter Banu, married Savak Engineer and had a son Adi, who was married to Dina & sons Burjor & Percy.
• Daughter Jeeno, married Bejonji in Bombay.
• Daughter Nergish, married Hormusjee Engineer and their children Dosu, Katy, Homai, Jeena.

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Rati Pestonji - left - Rati Nee Sukhasvala. Youngest daughter of Ratanshah & Pirojbai Sukhasvala of Nana Parsi wad Bulsar. Her father had large properties in Sukhas which was used for farming etc. They had their own bullock carts for travel, insides of same very well carpeted and cushioned luxuriously.

Her sisters: Late Sheroo Manekshana, Banu Maneck Manekshana (Mumbai), Mani Homi Manekshana (Mumbai) (Both Banu & Mani married two brothers, cousins of Field Marshal Sam Manekshana), Perin Rusi Bharucha (Mumbai)

Her brothers : Nariman Sukhasvala (Mumbai) & late Aspi Sukhasvala (Bulsar & Navsari)
The family was heavily involved in farming and cotton ginning operations. Ratanshah built a huge palatial home in Bulsar, close to the Agiary there in Nana Parsi wad. I have very fond memories of being in that house as a very young child, and playing with my cousins Adil & Burjor (Aspi mamas sons)

Rati is youngest of 5 sisters and three brothers, a person of strong character & deeds, who managed our household, like most Indian women, with astute financial management & even with Dads limited salary managed to buy the huge house in Civil lines in 1970, pre the Pakistan war, and added wings to the house later on, but most importantly made it into a comfortable & peaceful home, so we are always eager to go back there. However, recent modern facilities and modifications have been done to our home by my younger brother Farokh.

Keki Pestonji - right - more above

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This is a rare informal photo of the whole family together in Jhansi photo taken on 26 January 2006, shows Dad & Mum seated. Standing are Me, my wife Mahrukh, our son Arzan, my brother Farokh (in beard) our son Shazan, Farokh's wife Dilshad & sons Burzin (yellow sweater) and Hormazd & our daughter Farzana (only daughter in our family).

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The year that the first man landed on the moon was my Navjote year. Here, after the traditional bath etc., on stage the two Ervads Sapal and his father ......(with spectacles) are performing the Navjote initiation ceremony. This exact photo is, when the senior Dasturjee was asking me my name.

In the background front row, my Mum Rati, my younger Kaki Seroo, my brother Farokh, my grandmother Goolabai & Daulat aunty.

Behind are Dhunji Amroliwala our cousin, Darayus Merchant & my Dad. In far background are Darabshah Amroliwala, Cawas Pestonji, Sam Kohina & in Black suit is Tehmuras Bhagat amongst others.

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My Navajote ceremony and Sapal the Priest is initiating me into the fold. Seated behind is my elder Sera Kaki wife of Cawas Kaka, on right side is Mrs. Young, my school teacher's daughter ........, Zerin Bhagat (who got married to Rony Dick, 2 days after my Navjote) and little girl in front is Hutokshi Dinshaw, behind her is Armin Dinshaw & little girl behind Zerin is Lily Dinshaw in white frock.

Behind the roller shutter is the storage area for stage, chair, tables etc.

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Family group photo after the Navjote. Its Mum Dad & Brother Farokh after I was initiated into the Zoroastrain faith. Decorations are done by my cousins Hunsu, Rosy and others. You can see the pride on my parents face on the day.

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Good things come in threes for me. This is a photo combination in 1980. Left is as Senior Under officer National Cadet Corps 2nd Battalion, Jhansi Division, centre as budding Engineer & on right as Troop Leader of Bharat Scouts and Guides 2nd Group Railway Scouts Jhansi.

Jhansi gave me a terrific opportunity and growth for the wider world later on. When studying in St. Marks High School, in 1975, I joined the National Cadet Corps Junior Division and rose to rank of Commanding Sergeant Major.

In the senior division was selected as Senior Under Officer to lead the college, attended the All India Advanced Leadership Camp in Pachmarhi in 1979 & was selected to lead the first Republic Day march past on 26 January 1980, for the NCC contingent which comprised of cadets from over 12 units. So proudly we can record that the First Republic Day parade held in Jhansi in 1980 comprising of the Military, Police, Railway Police, Army Reserves, NCC & scouts etc.
 

In scouting, being a railway scout we had lot of opportunities to visit various tourist places & we took part in a large number of camps and activities, attended hikes to Darjeeling, Nainital, Simla, Allahabad, Varanasi, Madras etc.

Was selected Best Scout in 1977 for Jhansi Division, Led the All India Scouts Rally in Gorakhpur, representing Central Railway, Attended Jamboree in Marai Malai Nagar, Madras in 1979-80, and was President's Scout in 1980. Attended and won a lot of accolades in scouting also. I was able to implement the influence, discipline & marching of NCC, into the scout group which made us stand apart in turnout & march-past and gave us an edge on other scout groups.

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Billu Sharma, Sanjay Chaturvedi, Firoz Pestonji & Pradeep Pandey, the four of us spent our teenage years together in the Bharat Scouts & Guides - Railway Scouts & NCC always together and friends, with a terrific bond, respect, love for each other & have stayed so till date, even though each in different fields & pathways, successful in their own way, happy & content. Sanjay is the Jhansi District Scout master, Birender is a top Indian Railways officer in New Delhi & Pradeep is an Engine driver in Jhansi, like the old Parsis of Jhansi. Firoz is the creator of this web scheme & lives in Perth Western Australia, managing a tourism business.

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Kersi (Kaku) Bhagat, my paternal uncle was a jolly fun loving person and was an Engine driver of the old school. A short statured person, always full of mirth. You can see his photos in many of the family groupings.

Kersi/Kaku married to Mani and their children are:

• Son Jimmy married to Aban and children late Roshni, Dinaz & Dimple, Jimmy was Engine driver in Jhansi, retired and is settled in Godrej baug Mumbai.
• Daughter Zerin married to Rony Dick & children are Neville, Goolnaz & Farhad, she was a teacher in Jhansi , retired - now settled in Bharucha baug Mumbai.
• Son Minoo married to Katy, worked in Tehran, Abu Dhabi & various places including London Pilsner,Bombay and his son is Kurush, settled in Mumbai.
• Daughter Hanita married late Dadabhoy Wadia of Daman sons Firdosh & Astad, settled now in Daman.
• Daughter Rosy married to Jimmy Rustomjee, daughter Arnaz settled now in New York.
   

 

 

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Jimmy Bhagat is one of our elder cousins. He is and always has been a very quiet, dignified and sober person, with a dry wit and humorous side, when in full steam is terrific. He worked as an engine driver following in the illustrious footsteps of his father & both grandfathers. He has been a rock for the family, a quiet, unassuming person, always ready to assist and ready to sign off our cousins, nephew and nieces for their weddings. Literally he must have witnessed the most weddings in our family, that is the trust we have in him.

Jimmy is married to Aban, who hailed from Khar in Bombay. After retiring from the railways he migrated to Bombay to be with his daughters. He lives in Godrej Baug, Mumbai.

His daughters are:

• Late Roshni married to Major Zahl Tantra.
• Dinaz married to Adil Bhamgara & has two daughters and lives in Nagpur. Their daughters names are Tunisha & Jia
• Dimple the youngest lives with her parents in Godrej Baug, Mumbai & has been great contributor to this website.

Aban & Jimmy Bhagat's family with daughters Dinaz, Dimple & Roshni. Year of photo around 1980.

Dosabhaoy Elavia, married to Jai ji Pestonji, our aunt was a terrific personality. He was always very well dressed, full of fun and mirth. He was an engine driver also & an adventureous person by nature. A loving person and full of joy, a compulsive reader. He had a lovely red coloured Rajdoot motorcycle & before that , as per my father had an Indian motoercyle also.

They had a tonga of their own also which Jai ji used to ride with her young children.

Early in life he lost his wife and the children, still very young were very lovingly and carefully bought up by his eldest daughter Dolly. Naturally all the brothers dote on their sister, even now. Times as can be imagined would have been harroing for the young children and Dosu uncle, but there was no remorse for life, or any bitterness we ever saw in him or the children, my elder cousins, in fact all of them are a great gang to be with.

The children are:

• Daughter Dolly married to late Hoshang Merchant & sons Daraius & late Freddy.

• Twin sons Adi & Aki. Aki is married to Siloo & lives in Mumbai. Adi is married to Behroze & lives in Godrej baug Mumbai. He has a son & daughter.

• Son Janghoo is married to Bapsy & their daughters are Dilnawaz & Dilkhush. Lives in Mazgaon area of Mumbai.

• Son Filly is married to Vera & sons are Sharukh & Mahrzad living in Canada now.

As per Phiroze (Filly )Boyce his forefathers came to Jhansi from Morar, near Gwalior, at the request of the British to open a General merchandise store in Jhansi, in the late 19th century. The British were opening up a large cantonment area in Jhansi and they required all sorts of people to tag along for their town settlements.

According to Filly Boyce, his forefathers, two brothers left Morar, near Gwalior- one for Jhansi and the other for Belgaum, where incidentally they are still operating a large business. The early Boyce family in Jhansi may rightly be called the Rolls Royce of the Parsi's in Jhansi. They were a very rich, enterprising family who also supported the growing local Parsi community in a big way. Until around 1990, they were still operating their stores partially. But in its glory days the store was a large supplier for European chocolates, liquor, wines, licensed ammunitions & other novelties. The main show room is still a gigantic hall, even by today's proportion and is not less then 400 feet x 40 feet wide with heavy classical showcases of wood and glass. They were also licensed dealers for the American Ford Motor company in the 1930's. That can provide an idea of the enterprising spirit of our early Parsis

The Boyce family was probably one of the first ones in the region to own a motorcar & had the Ammunitions license no I for the state of Uttar Pradesh, which they gave up, around 1995.

Phirozshah Merwanjee Boyce (who was the First Chairman of the Municpality of Jhansi & also President from 1913 to 1916), at the Jhansi Graveyard. The enclosed well & boundary were done thanks to Merwanjee Boyce.

Married to Nergis, business man and entrepreneur. Had own trucking business and also had Tempo House dealing in Bajaj tempos. Very enterprising person and also was President of Jhansi Anjuman for a long time in fact from around 1954 to 1982. In later life when I had his acquaintance, he was a peaceful man, past his prime and semi retired, kept time in praying most of the time. Nergis aunty was a fun loving person and a lady of personality and a huge heart and a loud voice but lots of love for all and life.

Their Children:

• Son: Dosu married Swetty their sons Jeeju, Pinchu & Bobby as well as their deceased daughter Dinaz. Dosu's sons in Jhansi run own business specially in trucking, contracting and vehicles.

• Daughter: Katy the elder daughter married Captain Kersi Guzder, Ship Master, children Jennifer and Nicholas, married now. Katy lives in Mumbai with retired husband.

• Daughter: Homai, who was a teacher, married to late Captain Dara Sethna has daughters Goolu & Yasmine

• Son: Jeena married to Siloo, our Local Elvis and a flamboyant, soft peace loving person, no children, passed away few years back.

Jeena the youngest son of Hormusdji & Nergish Engneer was another person who left a mark on the Jhanis "style makers". Very dapperly dressed at all times, a soft spoken person and our local "Elvis". He had a red scooter which was gaily added with all accecories one could find. He was married to Siloo, a Bombay girl. The two lived in Jhansi after marriage for a few years before moving to Bombay, where he lived the rest of his life. Jeena worked for London Pilsner and retired from there. He passed away around 3 years back, hardly in his early 50's.

Dali Hormusji Kolah married to Khorshed Savakshaw Engineer of Kanpur worked as Mail Driver in the Railways in Jhansi. In 1952 he suffered an eye injury and was declared medically unfit and worked as Shedman in the Locoshed, Jhansi till he retired. He enjoyed a retired life for 24 years and passed away on 4th. May 2007.

 

Has son Burjor married to Niloufer Manchershaw Cooper of Kanpur and has two sons Zubin and Astaad. Burjor has obtained a VRS from the Union Bank of India and now lives in Kanpur.

 

Daughter: Katy married to Keki Minoo Khambatta lives in Pune and her children are Farzana & Arzan (now an ordained priest )

 

Brother: Noshir, who also was in the Jhansi workshop & both brothers were into body building and wrestling etc. Noshir died a bachelor and in later days suffered from cancer.

 

Sister: Perin is living in Canada

Sister: Dina, married to Adi Engineer a famous Jhansi personality and political figure in later days expired in 2006. A business man and ran a very popular wrestling Akhada (rink) popular with the locals. For freeing a kidnapped child from dacoits, was presented an award also. Was also President of the Jhansi anjuman after Hormusjee Engineer. Have two sons Behram and Percy.

 

Dina Engineer passed away 10 June 2007

The Umrigar brothers Phiroze, who was settled in Bombay, Khurshid (Lal Kaka) & Farokh, another smart debonair person were very popular in Jhansi and had loyal friends. Lal Kaka as Khurshid was always called worked, in the DRM office and was a soldier with the Indian reserve force and served in the 1971 war. Farokh was a senior Ticket Examiner, a dapper tall smart person, who died suddenly after retirement in Mumbai.

 

All brothers died bachelors.

 

If anyone has any information on these brothers or their parents please email us. Thanks

A thin energetic Sam, married to Banu and worked as a guard in the Indian Railways, very close friend of my father. His sons, Kerman and Porous. Sam Uncle was full of fun and energy, very gentle person and lots of love for children also. Kerman moved to Mumbai after finishing his studies and worked for Nirlon. He lost his wife in 2006 at a young age. Porous a Chartered Accountant is in Kuwait. Sam's brother is Hoshang, former Deputy chairman of Union bank & presently the Chairman of the Zoroastrian Bank.

 

Adi Engineer married to Dina and two sons Behram & Percy both are now settled in Canada.

Adi Engineer was a very popular person in Jhansi managing a wrestling school for decades. Popularly known as Adi Baba, a business man & also involved with local politics. Had a European car, probably the only one of its kind in the region. He single handedly freed a kidnapped child from dacoits and was awarded a citation for his efforts. Behram, a studious person is in a senior executive position in his firm in Canada and travels a lot around the world. Percy the younger one was a very handsome person, fun loving, who would turn eyes when he walked in Sipri bazaar.

An Engine driver who built a beautiful home in civil lines, and Dhun Aunty a free spirited woman, molded in a different type altogether, a vivacious person full of life and zest, full of adventure, who taught me, as a young boy the importance of independence, self reliance and living life to the full. A person who lived alone, her way, an excellent cook. We were lucky to have been close to her and learned so much.

Their children:

• Daughter Katy an airhostess married to Bob has various grown up children and grand children.
• Son Godrej, a colourful personality who was a master of situations, and roamed the country in his own manner. Married late in life & had a son. He passed away 21 March 2006
• Son Jimmy married, with grown up children lives in Jhansi, a retired engine driver
• Son Rony married to Zerin Bhagat and worked as a driver in the Railways, was a senior driver before retiring and is President of Jhansi Anjuman.
• Daughter Pallu lives in Toronto, Canada and was an airline hostess when in India.

Zerin worked her whole life as a teacher in St Marks School in the primary section and retired as Deputy Principal. Rony was an engine driver and retired as senior driver and was awarded also. He is President of Jhansi Anjuman and did a lot for the association bringing in new life to a stagnant community.He is ever ready to assist the Jhansi Parsis & had the Aramgah and Jehangir Baug cleaned up and kept presently neat and clean always. He is still actively involved with the Anjuman & after retirement now lives in Bharucha baug Andheri Mumbai.

Their children are:

• Son: Neville, is married to Feringez (Daughter of Gudy & Dolly Pestonji, Gudy also of Jhansi) and they have a son Arwan 2 years, settled Salsette Parsi Colony Bombay.
• Daughter: Goolnaz, married to Cyrus Debara of Calcutta, now living in Dubai & they have son Teeyan.
• Son: Farhad married to Yasmin. He works as flight attendant, living in Bharucha Baug Mumbai.

Dhanji M Anklesaria was born on 23 January 1923. He has always lived his life in Jhansi, proudly and with no regrets.

He was a very good friend of my fathers and he assisted me with a lot of information on the early Parsis of Jhansi, when I approached him. In a long discussion with him we learned the following information.

Dhanji uncles father, was Munchershaw Naoroji Anklesaria, who left Pune in 1869 at the young age of 17 years to come to Jhansi and work in the railways.

After a dint of hard work and settling down in Jhansi Munchershaw married and had 5 children. The sons were Dorabjee, Sorabjee, Behram & Dhanji (photo in November 2006) . Dhanji's sister was Perin married to Rustamji Bahadur.

Jhansi at the time of Dhanjis growing up was an isolated town with a strong Military and Railway presence. A lot of small princely principalities were around Jhansi. There were small Princely states and they used to go and play cricket with the neighbouring teams, in those places, quiet often. Most of these were in Gwalior, Bijna, Datia, Tikamgarh, Orcha, Panna etc and the local rajas used to be hosts to the teams from Jhansi.

According to Dhanji Uncle, the British were very smart and used to control the country through the railway and military. In those early days train speeds were no where near to what they are now. Engines were coal fired, steam engines. In those early days, at most small railway stations, the arrival of a train and unloading passengers & goods used to be the highlight of the day for the locals there. Most Railway stations including even Jhansi, in the early days did not even have any overhead cover and were open to the natural elements. The bigger stations used to have a few large pepul or neem trees for shade, with birds making it their home and there used to be a lot of cleaning up required each morning.

Dhanji uncle joined the then Railways in 1944 a guard in the Jabalpore division. After a few years he was transferred to the Jhansi division, & around 1950 he transferred to the off line station duty. He retired as Station Superintendent, and won several awards for cleanliness, operations & maximum goods transfers etc. He retired in 1982.

During their young days, life in Jhansi was great fun and a lot of social activity took place. A social club was started around 1945 after a lot of resistance from a lot of orthodox elders. According to him, Boman Mirza, Keki Pestonji (my father) & himself had to go door knocking to the Parsi houses to convince them of the merits of the club and to join up. After a while Manekshaw Mirza (Minoo Mirzas Uncle) assisted along with Sorabjee Batlivala & Burjorjee Surty (my grandmothers brother)& the club then took off. A lot of moral support in early days was provided to the youngsters and they also had a library.

In 1946 the club took off in full swing and enrolled large number of people as members. There was arrangement for table tennis, badminton, volleyball, tug of war and other games. A lot of outdoor picnics were organised regularly. People travelling in bullock drawn carts or the tongas. There used to be huge movie sessions at Laskala, Laxmi & Sipri movie theatres, and as per Dhanji uncle the whole cinema hall used to be booked out for the Parsis & friends.

At that time there were around 85 families & over 500 members The Parsi cricket club and gym were popular meeting points. The cricket opponents the Europeans Institute club, the Crown club of the Muslims & Tandon garden Sipri club were regular opponents.

Dhanji uncle himself was a keen player of hockey, cricket and music. On Sundays the groups would travel to the sports grounds for the full day and have good fun with the full families joining in. Hormusjee Engineer used to supply his bus in later days for transport & was also their cricket captain. (I could not refrain from asking him if Hormusjee Uncle was Captain because he supplied the transport, but Dhanji Uncle said, No, it was because he was an excellent cricketer.)

A question I specifically wanted to ask him was about his feelings and the general Parsee populations, when India became a free country on 15 August 1947. He informed me, there was no fear, animosity or dred for the Indian government, as such the Parsees in Jhansi were not politically inclined towards any particular group. Parsees had very good relation in Jhansi with the locals always. The Parsis were known for their hard work, loyalty, fairness but above all for honesty. The British allowed the Parsis in their running rooms also.

In those days a around 1945, a steam engine train would take approximately 9 hours to travel from Jhansi to Agra, now done in around 3 hours. A mail train from Jhansi to Delhi was a 12 hour run then, now can be done in 4 hours.

Dhanji uncle has many very fond memories of his Jhansi. He is very proud to have lived here, no regrets, the food in the markets are fresh, everything is available and life is peaceful & plentiful. He feels the future is not bleak, but the Parsee children need to become more enthusiastic, dynamic & responsible for them selves. The lethargy in life has to be shaken off, youngsters need to roughen out things & learn of life & education is most important. He should know it, his wife Mani was a wonderful teacher who must have taught thousands of young children in her career in Jhansi private schools.

Dhanji uncles son is Farokh and he sails the world as a Marine ship captain.His wife Mani, passed away just a few years back. His daughter Feringez is married to Ex Governor of Maharashtra & Air Marshal Latifs son. She has two children both grown up named Saheer & Zeeshan, who are making a wonderful career for themselves.

Minocher Mirza, popularly known as Minoo was a fun loving and enterprising person in the Jhansi Parsi group. He was an Engine driver of the old school, starting with steam engines and graduating to the fast mail trains. Parsi drivers were known for their hard work, dedication to the job and fairness to their subordinates.

Minocher Mirza was the son of Mahyarjee Mirza. His wife Freny and 4 children, spent their early life in Jhansi. The family Mirza was one of the Dastoor (Mobed) family in Jhansi. They had a huge bungalow of their own in Charli Gunj which was built by his father Mahyarjee Mirza. It was called Minocher Lodge and had 14 rooms with a massive garden which grew fruits like plums, mulberries, custard apples, guavas, papayas and many more. Minocher Mirza worked in the Central Railway and he was promoted as a Taj Express Driver in the latter part of his career which was one of the most respectful and highest engine driver posts in the Railways. He was awarded a gold medal and a prize of 1000 rupees from Dr. Rajendra Prasaad as he brought him in time for a very important meeting in Delhi which was next to impossible as the train was running late but in the end he made up for the delay.

A brief description of the family members:

• Minocher Mirza's father Mahyarjee, also worked in the Central Railways. Mahyarjee, had a monkey named Mickey who used to ride on the family dog and go to the Sipri Bazaar markets to buy fruits and vegetables. Everybody in the market named him the sahib with a monkey. Mickey was a very intelligent monkey and loved his master. One day a servant complained to Mahiyarjee about Minocher, about some trifling issue and Mickey was upset so he locked the servant in the kitchen the whole day for complaining about the young Minoo.

• Freny, was a very devoted housewife and she brought up 4 children who are now well settled with children of their own also.

• Daughter Bapsy, graduated and took up teaching and worked in Bombay Scottish school.

• Son Purvez Mirza graduated, worked in Bombay and is now settled in Kuwait, working in the University of Kuwait.

• Daughter Gool graduated and took up teaching and is now the Headmistress of the Junior section in Wadia Wacha school in Bombay.

• Daughter Katy graduated and worked as a travel agent in Iran, Singapore and now is settled in Perth, Western Australia.
   

Pesi Gheewalla and Nergish lived in the railway officers quarters and Pesi was a Guard on the Mail lines. After serving his whole life in the railwas, they saved and also purchased a house in Charli Gunj where they stayed happily for a long time, before migrating to Bombay.

Pesi's parents, Phirozshaw Edulji Gheewalla and Jer Phirozshaw Gheewalla, were from a small town in Harda. Nargish's parents, Edulji Doctor and Bamanbai Doctor, were also from Harda but later settled in Nagpur.

Pesi was an active person in his youth and young life and also played Hockey in his young days for the Railways. Nargish is a movie buff which she still enjoys viewing, in her youth it was on the big screen but now on television at home. She is an excellent cook.

They have three children:

• Son Khusroo, married to Mahazarine and is settled in Canada. Their children are Saenaya and Syreen.

• Son Parvez married to Sachi and settled in Mumbai. Their children are Ira and Zeus.

• Daughter Zenobia married to Captain Viraf Motivala of Mumbai, Master Mariner & settled in Mumbai with daughters Kainaz & Karishma.

Pesi passed away on 18th September 2004 in Mumbai. Nergish now lives in Mumbai.

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