Well done, bawa! Rustom Baug smashes a tonne

The landmark Rustom Baug Parsi Colony in Byculla East marks a historic 100 this year Celebrations begin for the residential enclaversquos smashing century with a Thanksgiving Jashan prayer on the evening of Saturday January 14 followed by a KhushalinoMelavdo which roughly translated means a get togetherAn excerpt from the invite to the first of yearlong events reads lsquoWe are so excited and proud to inform you that 100 years ago the gates of Rustom Baug opened up for the Zoroastrian community thanks to the unconditional benevolence of Bai Jerbai Wadia This legacy was increasingly maintained by the Wadia familyrsquo In a corner of this invite are three lines that are germane to the spirit of the celebrations lsquoGratitude for our past Celebrating our present Enriching our futurersquoLights onGratitude is key for Rustom Baug Welfare Association RBWA President Burzis Taraporevala who has lived in the colony for 64 years ldquoWe are blessed I want youngsters to know how fortunate they are We can never forget Jerbai Wadia and the Wadia family philanthropyrdquo he saidRustom Baug Parsi Colony in Byculla East on WednesdayFor Taraporevala the colonyrsquos massive ground library gymnasium and excellent wooden badminton court are standouts Equally important is the safety this gated space gives ldquoAt times I have forgotten to lock my car and it has been there just the same the next morningrdquo he explainedHutoxi Doodhwala resident and member of the centenary celebrations committee under the RBWA pointed to several structures from the 32 buildings of four floors each in the colony ldquoResidents have started putting up lights on their individual buildings to mark the date Real happiness is lighting up hearts withinrdquo she saidAlso Read Dr Tehemton Udwadia We all mourn his loss says Mumbais Parsi communityDoodhwala explained the Baug is selfcontained with ldquoeverything one would need from tuition teachers to licensed vendors a clubhouse community hall withinrdquo Doodhwala said the colony came together as a family when it mattered most ldquoIn COVID timesrdquo she explained ldquoa bell was rung through the colony at 6 pm People came out on their balconies or to their windows and prayed for those suffering and battling losses Some played the prayers on speakers via Bluetooth She added ldquoEven people who can afford upscale housing elsewhere in the city like flats in modern towers do not wish to move outrdquoSoul speakNot just cement there is soul too is the sentiment that resonates through Rustom Baug Resident Jehangir Mistry said ldquoNearly a century ago my grandfather was walking through this neighbourhood He saw some construction going on and simply walked into a little office near the site and booked a flatrdquoThis is not an address but an emotionMistry explained ldquoEarlier we had threestorey buildings with flat roofs Then through the years a fourth floor was added with redtiled roofsrdquo He also expressed gratitude toward the Wadia family These Baugs have been built with the philanthropic tradition that ran so deeply in the Parsi community earlierrdquo he saidA place where the shrill trill of the stressful mobile is replaced by the sweet sound of bird song ldquoThis space is quiet and my wife and I like many others enjoy our tea in the back kitchen balcony in the morningsrdquo explained MistryHe added that many youngsters have volunteered to help in celebrations and posters have already gone up in several colony buildings announcing 100 years ldquoThis is like the lsquotrailerrsquo to the main show or movierdquo laughed Mistry centenary celebrations committee memberBoth Doodhwala and Mistry said that the Saturday programme would begin with organizers felicitating residents over 90 ldquoWe have a 100yearold resident and several Rustom Baugites who are over 90 They will be honoured with a toran garland and a shawlrdquo said Mistry Strong supportlsquoIt takes a village to raise a childrsquo goes the proverb and this is true for Roxane Khodaiji who said ldquoI came to this colony as a nineyearold with my sevenyearold sister and my mum a young widow We got so much support I had so many mums and dads too in the colonyrdquoA whiff of nostalgia at old Rustom BaugKhodaiji added ldquoDuring COVID many youngsters and I helped these lsquoaunties and unclesrsquo who had looked after me when I was a child We took parcels to their homes as these buildings do not have lifts and so mobility is challenging for the old and infirm This was and is the best place to liverdquoldquoThere is a tree by the Baugrsquos pavilionrdquo said a resident of 28 years Khushnuma Ferzandi ldquowhich has stood for 100 years Talk to it and it will tell you secrets of the games children played under it how it provided shelterhelliprdquoFerzandi added ldquoI moved out of the Baug when I was 9 went abroad and returned to it after I got married It was extremely important that my children have a place to play connect with other children and just be kids Here we have a haven a community that keeps you anchored in a city that is so full of hustlebustle where one can get lost easily Rustom Baug is family with its bonds and differences too but that only adds to the colour of living hererdquo