The below article appeared in the print and online edition of Inside43
Two Centuries of Service
From a shop that opened almost two hundred years ago in Ooty, until today, the Parsi community has contributed to this district in the most remarkable way. Homi Dhunjeebhoy chronicles their remarkable history of entrepreneurship and public service
The British annexed the Nilgiris into the district of Coimbatore in 1819, when John Sullivan of the Madras Civil Service was the Collector of Coimbatore. Sullivan is, as many of us know, the acknowledged founder of the Nilgiris, and he approached businessmen in Bombay and towns along the West Coast to set up businesses in Ooty. Among the respondents were three Parsi brothers, Jehanjirjee, Framjee, and Pestonjee Nasserwanjee Bottlewalla who were from Billimora in Gujarat. They set up enterprises in Ooty in 1829. They prospered, and this prompted them to contact friends back in their village stating that Ooty was a good place to conduct commerce. This brought Eduljee Maneckjee, also from Billimora, who opened a bakery in 1840. The Bottlewallas and Maneckjee brought with them other young Parsi men to help them in their business, and so began the small Parsi population of the Nilgiris.
The 1800s
Both these families prospered greatly, spreading their business to real estate and coffee plantations and later to tea and cinchona. Maneckjee’s son, Dadabhoy took a prominent part in the civic life of Ooty and was among the first group of corporators when the Ootacamund Municipality was founded in 1866. There is a street in the main bazaar named after him where the bakery was located. Eduljee Maneckjee died in 1880, and his son in 1904, and both are buried in Ooty.
What a Gratifying Historical Memoirs of the Illustrious Parsi’Enterpreneurs & of Militarians of Coonoor’s referred as Blue Hills alias the Noble Blue Blood of the Parsis in service of the Community & Local Populace!
Wish All such Ones are Rebornagain!