Tag Archives: india

They fled from Persia and were given sanctuary in India

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THE PARSIS WHOSE religion is Zoroastrianism were prominent in Persia until it was invaded by Arabs. In response to this invasion, they began migrating from Persia. The first wave of migration between the eighth and tenth centuries AD. They arrived by sea on the coast of what is now Gujarat. They were given permission to settle in India, where they have prospered. Many of their descendants became prominent businessmen and politicians. Many of them were generously philanthropic.  Over the centuries, the Parsis have zealously adhered to their ancient religious traditions and rituals. During the nineteenth century,  a second wave of Zoroastrians arrived in India from Persia. This group are known as Irani Zoroastrians.

 

A room in the museum

In December 2025, we visited a wonderful museum dedicated to Zoroastrian archaeology, history, and customs. Near the Babulnath Mandur in Bombay,  it is The Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwalla Museum.

 

The museum was established in 1954. Between 2018 and 2025, it was renovated. The result is superb. The fascinating exhibits are well displayed alongside interesting information panels.

 

Sadly, the number of Parsis in the world is declining. When we discussed this with an official in the museum, his view was that the decline is due to the education of Parsi women. He believed that because many Parsi women are getting good educational qualifications,  they are too busy developing their careers to give up time to have children. His view might be one reason for the fall in the Parsi population,  but there may well be others. Another thing is that traditionally unless the father is a Parsi, a couple’s children cannot be Parsi.  So, if a Parsi woman marries a non-Parsi, her children will not be considered Parsis.

 In view of the gradual fall in numbers of Parsis (and Iranis), it is fortunate that the fine museum in Bombay exists to remind us of wonderful history and achievements of these people who fled their native land and enriched the land which offered them sanctuary.

Saved from the funeral pyre: an airport is named after this remarkable queen

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AHILYABAI HOLKAR WAS born in 1725. She married Khanderao Holkar (1723-1754), the only son of Malhar Rao (1693-1766),  the founder of the kingdom of Indore.

 

Statue of Ahilyabai Holkar at Indore airport

When Khanderao was killed in battle, his devastated wife wanted to commit sati: to throw herself onto his funeral pyre. However, her father-in-law and the subjects of the kingdom successfully persuaded her not to commit suicide. Following that, her father-in-law trained Ahilyabai in military matters. Khanderao’s only son, Malhar’s successor, Male Rao Holkar, ruled from 1766-1767. After his brief reign, cut short by illness, Ahilyabai became ruler of the Kingdom of Indore, which was part of the Maratha Empire.

 

Ahilyabai was one of the world’s most remarkable queens. As Wikipedia summarised:

“She is renowned for good governance, social welfare, and humanitarian work along with religious, educational, and cultural advancements. She contributed to the growth of Indian architecture through the commission of various temples, Ghats, and Dharmshalas. Ahilyabai’s Matha, or charitable endowments, spread across India.”

 

As a result, she is now revered as a saint. Apart from her philanthropic activities, she was also involved with military matters (in 1765, she commanded the artillery during an attack near Gwalior), and transferring her capital from Indore to the holy town of Maheshwar.  As if this were not sufficient,  she also transformed Indore into a modern city where commerce and industry were encouraged.

 

In view of the above, it is very apt that Indore’s airport bears her name. It is called Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport. We flew from it to Bombay. A statue of Ahilyabai greets passengers as they arrive in the hall with the airline check-in desks.

  The airport is smallish, but lovely. The departure lounges are spacious and airy, and there is a good variety of refreshment counters. Some of the walls of the airport have fine examples of art in the style practised by the tribal Gond people. Compared with many other airports I have used, that serving Indore is one of the most pleasant. Ahilyabai would have been pleased to have this place named in her honour.

Bouquets of banknotes for brides and grooms in Indore

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AT INDIAN WEDDINGS, money is often gifted to the happy couple, usually amounts of rupees ending in 1 (eg 51, 101, 501, 1001, etc). Today (26 December 2025), by chance, we found ourselves in a part of the city of Indore, Sarafa Bazaar, where jewellery and things for use in weddings are sold.

 

Amongst the numerous shops, we found several that were selling items we had not seen before.  They are decoratively made bouquets of genuine Indian banknotes. These are assembled geometrically around colourful decorative ornaments, and, in some cases, flowers.

 

When we asked a shopkeeper what purpose these amazing, attractive arrays of banknotes served, he said that they were for what sounded like the ‘dulhan’ (bride in Hindi). The prices of these bouquets is the sum of the banknotes contained within them and the ornamentation, as well as the labour costs.

 

While writing this short piece, I  found out that these banknotes bouquets or currency garlands can also be presented to bridegrooms.

 

I do not know how widespread is the practice of presenting banknotes arranged decoratively. So far,  I have only seen it in Indore.

EM Forster and some caves in Mandu (Central India)

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I AM OVER HALFWAY through reading “A Passage to India” by EM Forster (1879-1970). In this exciting novel, which contains the author’s acute observations about the minutiae of India as it was before Independence and to a large degree after,  Dr Aziz, an Indian, ill-advised (in my opinion) accompanies two English ladies to the Marabar Caves (a fictional name). Trouble ensues, and Dr Aziz is arrested.  I will not give away the rest of what I have read so far, but will mention some caves in Mandu (Madhya Pradesh), which we visited on Christmas Day 2025.

 

The caves are close to the scant remains of Mandu’s Lohani Gate. Easy to enter, they were excavated and converted into chambers or cells where Hindu priests or yogi might once have resided. Archaeological evidence suggests that the caves were excavated and modified in the eleventh or twelfth century. They predate all of the other archaeological sites in Mandu.

 

Fortunately,  our visit to these caves was less eventful and sinister as is described in Forster’s excellent story. In fact, the Lohani Caves are delightful, and considering how close they are to Mandu’s most visited places, they are  ignored by most tourists.

 

Now, I must leave you and get back to my tattered copy of “A Passage to India”.

PS: by “minutiae” I include Forster’s detailed description of the behaviour of Indian squirrels and the Echo Point at Mandu, which we saw recently, as well as the curious echo effects at the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, which I have experienced.

A motorbike hanging on a wall in a cafe

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NESTLING BESIDE THE castle walls of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh in India, there is an attractive outdoor cafe called Laboo’z. An old motorbike is attached to the castle wall facing the chairs and tables. Below it, there is a sign that reads: “Labooz’s Scooter”.

The cafe was established in 2002 by Richard Holkar, a scion of the Holkar family that ruled the Kingdom of Indore, whose capital used to be Maheshwar.

When Richard and his half sister were children, they used to be ferried around Maheshwar on the bike now adorning the cafe. The driver who took tem on the motorbike was tall (‘lambu’ in Hindustani). Over the years, he became known affectionately by the nickname ‘Labboo”. His motorbike, now attached to a wall, commemorates him.

In the footsteps of the founder of the religion of the Sikhs

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THE SIKH RELIGION was founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539). During his lifetime,  he made pilgrimages to Mecca. On two of these, he travelled through the port of Lakhpat in Kutch (Kachchh,  Gujarat). In his lifetime, Lakhpat was a thriving port, but now it is a ghost town.

 

Lakhpat contains a fully functioning gurdwara (Sikh place of worship), the Lakhpat Gurdwara Sahib. It was established by the descendants of the Sikhs who hosted Guru Nanak during his two stays in Lakhpat.  The sanctuary  of the gurdwara contains  relics that were used by Guru Nanak while he spent time in Lakhpat.

 

The sanctuary is housed in a large compound in which one must walk barefoot and with one’s head covered. The place is very clean.

 

As with all gurdwaras, pilgrims and other visitors are offered (free of charge) vegetarian food and drinks (eg tea) in the ‘langar’ (=kiitchen) hall. We drank tea from metal cups and saw others, seated on the floor, eating food from metal thalis. After finishing ones food and drinks, visitors must was the metal vessels with soap and water so that they are ready for use by others.

 

Although the sanctuary building is nineteenth century or older, the rest of the gurdwara is newer. We entered a huge new meeting hall to which builders were completing finishing touches. We were told that it was being got ready because there was about to be a great gathering of Sikh pilgrims at a festival.

 

Lakhpat and its gurdwar are close to India’s border with Sindh in Pakistan.  The whole area around the erstwhile port is full of military personnel and camps. Many Indian regiments contain Sikh members. Some of these regiments have donated things to the gurdwara at Lakhpat.  As one walks around, one can see plaques put up by, and to commemorate these regiments.

 

I enjoyed visiting the gurdwara, and we were happy to make a donation.  Whatever the size of the donation, the donor receives a receipt that  states the reason for making the gift. We wrote that our money was in gratitude for the refreshment offered to us in the langar hall.

 

By visiting the gurdwara at Lakhpat,  we can truly say that we were following in the footsteps of Guru Nanak, even though our journey was most probably more comfortable than his.

The “Native Library” in Ahmedabad (Gujarat)

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AN OLD BUILDING stands near the Bhadra Fort in the heart of old Ahmedabad. This is the Himabhai Institute. Its origin dates back to 1849 when Alexander Kinloch Forbes, an administrator in the British East India Company, set up the Gujarati Vernacular Society which aimed at carrying out social reforms, enriching the Gujarati language and its literature, and to promote ‘useful knowledge’.

The Society set up a library in the building now known as the Himabhai Institute. A leading light in establishing the library was the Gujarati poet Dalpatram, a friend of Forbes and his teacher of the Gujarati language.

Dalpatram, whose full name was Dalpatram Dahyabhai Travadi, lived from 1820 to 1898. According to Wikipedia, he:
“… led social reform movements in Ahmedabad, and wrote articles against superstitions, caste restrictions and child marriage. He dealt with the problem of widow remarriage at length in his poem, Vencharitra … In 1885, Dalpatram was made a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire.”

The library, named after the philanthropist Himabhai (Vakhatchand) who lived from 1785 to 1858, is one of Gujarat’s oldest. It contained a valuable collection of books and manuscripts. Today, unfortunately, the place is in a sad condition. The number of people using it has declined considerably. This is to some extent due to the Internet having become a major source of information, and as a consequence people depend less on books than they used to. The Institute has a peaceful rear garden and on the first floor there is a hall that can be used for meetings and other functions.

A preserved historical building, the now melancholic Himabhai Institute was known as the “Native Library” in the nineteenth century.

His sister was a pioneer of the labour movement in India

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A LARGE WHITE MANSION stands in lovely grounds not far from the Sidi Saiyed mosque in central Ahmedabad. If you look carefully, you will see that in various places the outside of the building has cartouches consisting of an A intertwined with an S.

This edifice was a home of the textile magnate and philanthropist Ambalal Sarabhai (1890-1967).

Ambalal’s sister was Anasuya Sarabhai (1885-1972). She became a pioneer and founder of the women’s labour movement in India. Also, she helped Gandhi set up his Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.

Initially, Anasuya studied medicine, but gave it up. She was a Jain and dissecting corpses was abhorrent to her. She gave it up, and went to London where, in 1912, she studied at the London School of Economics, where many years later my father became a professor.

In 1914, she organised a textile workers strike in Ahmedabad. No doubt, her brother’s factories would have been affected. In 1917, the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association (Majdoor Mahajan Sangh) was formed and Anasuya was made its lifelong president by Gandhi.

I do not know where Anasuya lived in Ahmedabad, but seeing her brother’s house made me think of her. [It is possible that she resided in Ambalal’s mansion.]

The villa is now the home of the Shanti Sadan institute.

A freedom fighter,  an architect,  and a hotel in Ahmedabad

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MADAM BHIKAJI CAMA (1861-1936) was an Indian freedom fighter. Aa member of the Parsi community,  she is remembered for various activities including unfurling one of  thee earliest versions of a flag of Indian independence  at a socialist Congress in Stuttgart in 1907, several years before Gandhi returned to India to start his struggle to make India independent of the British.

 

 In 1960, Rustom Cama, who was related to Bikhaji Cama,  opened his 26 room luxury Cama Hotel, close to the River Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. With a delightful garden, it was the city’s first hotel offering deluxe accommodation.

 

The hotel was one of the earliest projects of the renowned Indian architect Charles Correa (1930-2015). He designed the hotel in 1958-59. Not too far away from the hotel is the Memorial Museum at Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.

 

I have read that  the  Cama Hotel has been modified over the years. So, although it is recognisable modernistic, some of what Correa designed has been changed. We visited the hotel, hoping to drink some coffee. Despite having placed the order, it never arrived, and we left thirsty. Nevertheless,  I was pleased to have entered a building designed by Correa. And I was fascinated by the fact that the hotel was established by a member of Madam Bhikaji Cama’s family.

 

I first became aware of Madam Cama when I was researching my book, “Indian Freedom Fighters in London (1905 – 1910), which is about some Indian revolutionaries, who were active several years before Gandhi came on the scene. [The book is available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/INDIAN-FREEDOM-FIGHTERS-LONDON-1905-1910/dp/0244270716 ]

 

Only Ganesh is allowed to completely circumnavigate this Shiva temple

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THE PUNVARESHVAR TEMPLE is one of the oldest surviving Hindu temples in Kutch. It stands beside state highway 42 between Bhuj and Nakhatrana.

 

The temple is built in a style that incorporates elements of both Dravidian and Nagara styles.  It was built sometime around the tenth or eleventh century. During the earthquake of 2001, part of its roof collapsed, leaving part of the temple without a roof. The temple is dedicated to Shiva.

 

The dripping cow head

Built on a stone podium, there is a walkway surrounding the temple. We began walking around it, and stopped to look at a carved cow’s head from which water was dripping. While I was taking a picture of this dripping sculpture, a man approached it, knelt down, let some water drip onto his fingers, and then touched his eyes with the water. He explained that we should not walk all the way around the temple, because only Ganesh, son of Shiva, is permitted to walk the whole way around. Ordinary mortals are supposed to walk up to the dripping cow, put the water in their eyes, and retrace their steps. Then, one can walk around the rest of the temple until one reaches the dripping cow. After applying water to the eyes, one retraces one’s steps.

 

While we were looking at the old temple, a group of ladies dressed in traditional folk costumes  arrived at the temple. Each of them had what looked like a colourful pillow balanced on their heads. These were, in fact,  bundles of clothes.

 

We learned that the ladies had walked through the night from Ratnal, which is 40 miles east of the Puneshwar Shiva Temple. According to Google maps,  this walking journey takes between 13 and a half and 14 hours. We were at the temple at 10 am. The ladies would have set out on their walk early the evening before. Very kindly, they allowed me to take pictures of them.

 

The Punvareshvar Shiva Temple is on the way from Bhuj to the enormous temple complex called Mata no Madh. We visited this popular temple a few years ago. It was overcrowded and highly commercialised. Near the sanctum containing the highly revered deity, I spotted an ATM machine for pilgrims who had not brought enough cash to offer to the deity and the priests who perform the pujas – at very high speed.  The simple, ancient Puneshwar Temple is a peaceful place, where  unlike at Mata no Madh, there is a spiritual atmosphere bathing the environment.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE